[February 23, 2022] I’m a fan of Theodore Roosevelt and his success as a great political leader, statesman, and historian. Although he didn’t say it, I’m sure Roosevelt would agree with William Shakespeare’s words that cowards die a thousand times before their final death.1,2
Roosevelt was a real man – a man’s man – very much unlike so many today’s generation of pretentious, pompous, political sissy-men. He was, indeed, the man in the arena; someone who won great acclaim for his emphasis on personal duty and accountability. Much of that came in positioning the United States in a position of world leadership.
Roosevelt probably read Shakespeare; he certainly acted as if he read the play “Julius Caesar” (1599). I’m sure he would say it is not the brave man who does not fear. As a Soldier in the Spanish-American War (1898) and as part of the Rough Riders, Roosevelt would have noted that a brave man has trained himself to fight on regardless of his fear.
Conversely, a coward succumbs to the everyday pressures of life through his procrastination and hesitancy. Every day, the coward loses his battles to fear and anxiety, so he dies, figuratively, a thousand deaths before the final one. The coward has not sought a meaningful life because he never stepped into the arena. The coward would fear the result if he did so.
We somehow knew that fear was not a good trait, even as young children. If one of our friends was scared of something (or anything), we would joke that he was a “chicken.” We would taunt him by chanting “chicken, chicken, chicken,” with the intent to force him to be brave or to admit to us he was fearful and unworthy of being part of our friendship circle.
The coward’s fear is of everything. During the Coronavirus pandemic, I saw many people figuratively die a thousand deaths from their fear. They failed to live their lives to the fullest, ran away from large cities toward rural areas (they had previously belittled), and lied about their health to put themselves ahead of the line for a vaccine.
Today, I see those fearful folks, and I see what they are. They know I know that their fear is all-consuming. They are cowards who die a thousand times. Cowards know who they are.
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- “A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once. It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.” ― William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2
- “The coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave but one…. (The man who first said that) was probably a coward…. He knew a great deal about cowards but nothing about the brave. The brave dies perhaps two thousand deaths if he’s intelligent. He simply doesn’t mention them.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms (1929)
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Please read my new book, “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” at Amazon (link here).
…. cowards should die a thousand times. They failed their people and the world knows it.
Gen. Satterfield, I’ve seen the same thing during the pandemic with our city dwellers who ‘ran’ from the cities out into the country yet talk about those of us who live here everyday of the year as a bunch of knuckledraggers. Hypocrisy at its finest.
Gen. Satterfield makes an excellent point and I bring it up so that it is not overlooked. Even as kids, we know what cowardice looks like (running away from a fight, etc) and are quick to insult by words those who are cowards. This includes their most dear friends. They are making other kids stronger by insulting them. Toughen up, my mom used to say, deal with it.
Good point, willie. Yes, “toughen up.”
Yes, isn’t it of interest that even little kids can identify cowardice when they see it. Hmmmm, must be a biological based resistance to being a coward. Groups in the ancient world ceased to exist if some of their members were not brave.
Couldn’t have said it better. I wonder why?
“Conversely, a coward succumbs to the everyday pressures of life through his procrastination and hesitancy. Every day, the coward loses his battles to fear and anxiety, so he dies, figuratively, a thousand deaths before the final one. The coward has not sought a meaningful life because he never stepped into the arena. The coward would fear the result if he did so.” Gen. Satterfield. Excellent point.
Hey, here is an example of cowardice from Ben & Jerry’s icecream. Now how in the world could ice cream be cowardice?
Ben & Jerry’s Ukraine Tweet Is Not Just About Russia
https://schanzer.pundicity.com/26030/ben-jerry-ukraine-tweet-is-not-just-about-russia
When weak men are in charge, you can now see what happens.
Sissy men! 👍
One critic of this naïve statement went so far as to suggest a new flavor for Ben and Jerry’s ice cream occasion: Appease Mint.
Very funny. Making fun of cowards generally doesn’t work by bringing them around. As long as there are no folks who publically disparage and criticize the cowards, they will forever remain cowards. Ben & Jerry is just the latest example in a long string of examples. Excellent article.
The Man in the Arena — Teddy Roosevelt
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Culture-and-Society/Man-in-the-Arena.aspx#:~:text=Theodore%20Roosevelt%20delivered%20the%20speech%20entitled%20%E2%80%9CCitizenship%20in,also%20included%20visits%20to%20Vienna%2C%20Budapest%2C%20and%20Oslo.
Great read.
Great read, thank you Yusaf.
Do cowards really know who they are? A question that would take a century to answer. ✔
“Cowards know who they are.” I am not sure but I think this was a throw-away line for Gen. Satterfield but, in itself, it is profound and explains why so many men these days – who are clearly moral cowards – are so angry with the world. And explains why they have such terrible relationships with other people and that they crave tyranny as a solution to the world’s problems, and by extension, their own problems with reality.
I like that cowards do know who they are. They will not admit it to you. They will deny it to the ends of the earth. But we know who they are and they had better know we know it.
Great comment Max. Yes, and perhaps this explains why so many men are dropping out of society or at least partly explains the degradation of men in our society.
Greg, right but I think there is more to it than that. Good start, howevr.
I would hope that Gen. Satterfield takes the time to discuss this very topic. Maybe in his next book after ‘Our Longest Year in Iraq,” where he can get into the details of cowardice. It’s an interesting topic and how we each can prevent ourselves from being a coward is, I’m sure, something most would want to read.
Ain’t that right!
More than we know. Max (above in his comment) has done us a favor by putting his finger on one possibility. I know that Gen. Satterfield is using his extensive experience with people (he says not all successful0 to explore a few deep psychological issues (or pathological) that manifests itself in our being. Men must be brave. Our society depends upon it.
Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau is a coward and that is why the country is now falling apart.
Good point DPG. Thx. Great discussion in Gen. Satterfield’s leadership forums today.
Men must be brave. Exactly. ✔