[July 6, 2020] There are no words in the English language that is worse than being called a coward. Growing up in a culture steeped in military customs and populated by veterans, I feared being called a coward or, worse yet, a yellow-bellied snake. The rhetorical references are explicit; if you are a coward, then there is nothing humanly lower than you.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. Cowardice is a normal human condition. It’s the fight or flight response to danger. Given our predilections, we would instead run than stand and fight. Perhaps this is how our pre-historical ancestors survived. When threatened with death or severe bodily harm, they ran away. This changed since we moved into towns and cities and organized ourselves into groups for the benefit of everyone.
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” – Revelation 21:8, the Bible, NIV
Cowardice is associated with all those things we do not want in life. In this verse from the Old Testament Bible, we see cowards lumped together will murderers, sexual perverts, and the like. For a boy, this is a severe challenge. One does not want to be seen as lacking. So, we put on a brave front, big boys don’t cry, men don’t quit, we soldier on, and we tough it out. Pain is only in your mind; we are told. Cowardice is forever.
“Chicken, squawk, squawk, squawk,” the children called out to another young boy who refused to jump from the big metal swing set at the playground. The year before, my friend Wilson had broken his right arm on this very swing set, and he had a justifiable fear of it. But the relentless hectoring by other kids drove him to run home to his mom. Now branded a “chicken,” he became a coward by label. It took a long time for him to live it down.
Cowardice is more than a lack of courage. We are all afraid of similar things; a poisonous snake in the grass, heights/blood/rats/spiders, of death, and unrelenting pain. Being afraid is okay, as long as we don’t show it. It is acceptable to be frightened if we possess the right character in the form of a good attitude, proper spirit, and refuse to run away and hide like we all want to do.
Most of us would never admit any of this, of course. We are brave, defiantly so, or so we say. But the fact is we are all cowards. To one degree or another, there will be times when we fail to do what is expected of us. We will run away and hide like so many children do, like Wilson, my friend.
Hang on there, cowboy. Sorry, but just had to quote John Wayne (my hero). No one likes to be called a coward but, yes, you are correct that our innate reaction is to run away. Cowardice might be temporarily good for the individual but is always bad for the group. IMHO, that is why we emphasize bravery so much.
Yes, I must agree that cowardice is the default position for humans. We are all cowards. That is why it is so difficult to resist it. We all want to run away “to live another day.” But for the group (read that as your family, community, state or nation) it is better for you to be brave and stand up to the threat. Individual needs supersede group needs means cowardice.
Yep, and that is why so many college students and young folks today are base cowards. First, they don’t know the difference in good and evil (a product of our failed education system). Second, they believe deeply that they are morally better than everyone else (another product of our terrible child-rearing methods). And third, they have it easy compared to everyone else throughout history. All these combine to create the worst generation in mankind’s history.
Wow, spot on, Mr. Red. Thanks. Please publish another article soon.
Good points, Sadako Red. We are seeing a rise of fascism in the very folks who believe they are fighting fascism. How strange.
So true Fred. I’ve seen this coming for a long time. Only those familiar with what fascism is can truly see it. Yeah Yeah, we all think that Hitler was the end of fascism but its rise has been on college campuses for a long time. It’s being used as a bludgeon to crush democracy and free speech.
Excellent article. Thank you!
The old testament from the Bible is a tough read for most of us. Many allusions. It takes someone to show you the symbols and meanings behind the words. I find the old testament fascinating and a place to learn a great deal.
“Chicken, squawk, squawk, squawk,” the children called out to another young boy who refused to jump from the big metal swing set at the playground. Wow, how many times have we heard of this situation. “I double dog dare you.” Another refrain that gets kids to do something stupid with the implication they are a coward.
Yeah, brings back memories from childhood, doesn’t it?
General Satterfield, great article. I’ll be passing this one out at work later this week.
I continue to find this leadership website to be one of the very best out there. You can come here and get a sprinkling of leadership ideas from the articles written by Gen. Satterfield and occasionally a guest blogger. And, you can also find more in the comment’s forum that I personally love to read. This is they type of thing we need to see more of. BTW, I would like to humbly make a suggestion. Gen. Satterfield, would you consider revamping your book review section to add more books on leadership? Thank you for your consideration.
That’s also why I’m a long time fan of Gen. Satterfield and his blog. Thanks Eva. Great to see you on today. I had a great weekend and celebrated our Nation’s birth date. My whole family was participating and we are better for the experience. No traitors in our mist.
Very good article on cowardice vs. bravery. They are not opposites because both involve fear but bravery is what stands out over time while cowardice is relegated to the dustbins of history.
An old famous quote from the Revolutionary War. General George Washington asked his Irish companion “Mad Anthony Wayne” if he could take the fort, despite being outnumbered. Wayne retorted, “Issue the orders, sir, and I will storm hell.” Wayne attacked the fort at night with a bayonet charge only. Now that is real bravery.
Eric, my first thoughts were that too many people today are cowards to their core. There are so few heroes of today anymore. I like to think about how I would be brave in a terrible situation. It is hard to do. But we must stand up against evil. The problem I see in America and much of the world is that our young people do not know what evil is. They are becoming evil themselves while believing they are superior to the rest of us.
Good one Max. Made my day.
Thanks Max. The first step to recognizing we are all cowards is to acknowledge the fact. Then we must work on throwing off the fear and any thoughts of running away. Also, we must learn not to lie to ourselves.
Real bravery. What would a college snowflake do in this circumstance? Probably cry for his teddy bear. ?
You can read more stories, including this one from the Daily Favorites tab in this website. Be sure to go to today’s date and the article is there. It involves 3 stories from the Rev War.
Surely amazing article. At first, I had no idea where you were going with this, Gen. Satterfield, so now I see. Cowardice is the default position we all have. Why? Doesn’t matter what the answer is.
Correct, the why is only nice to know. The how is what matters most. To be a cowardice is bad for the group but maybe not good for the person.
Pow, this article sure hit me in the heart. Yes, we are all cowards at certain points in our lives and as we look back on ourselves regrets pile up on the mountain of cowardice we have built.
Hi Army Cpt. Thanks for your service.
Hi Army Captain, glad you are back on Gen. Satterfield’s website for leaders. Let us know what’s happening in the Army these days. No secret stuff though.