Let's talk about a phenomenon that people despise, but at the same time get rid of it is either difficult or impossible. This, of course, is about cowardice. Today we reveal the meaning of the concept of "coward." This object of research is not as unambiguous as it might seem at first glance.
Value
Naturally, almost everyone can give their own definition. But we need objectivity, so let's turn to the explanatory dictionary. A coward is "a person who is easily amenable to a sense of fear." A wonderful definition, succinct and strictly in the case. Indeed, it is fear that makes people cowards. But the catch is that fear is perfectly normal. Through the horror of something, the instinct of self-preservation reveals itself. So, it’s not about the fear and horror that arise. The fact is that a person cannot control his emotions in the face of danger. He lacks will, endurance, perhaps patience.
Desire to live and cowardice
Is it possible to blame a person for wanting to live? Yes, Freud in the difficult time of his life invented or came up with the theory that two forces act in the body - Eros and Thanatos. And each of them is identical in their rights, moreover, thanatos is even more energetic, because all life ends in death. And the ultimate conclusion of the ancestor of psychoanalysis is this: the living seeks death. But the actual practice of the message does not confirm, but, on the contrary, refutes: the biological always wants to live.
Remember the wonderful episode of the film “Braveheart” (1995), when W. Wallace persuades the British to fight, and they answer him that if they run away now, they will live? The military leader acknowledges the truth of these words, but contrasts the image of quiet, boring old age with the image of heroic death in a battle for freedom. And those who still coward some time ago, enthusiastically rush into the fray. Someone will say that this is supposedly Hollywood. Everything goes into an external effect. But somehow, people were inspired? And there are no battles without sacrifices. This means that a person is not so much afraid of dying as the fact that his death will be meaningless. If a man fears the same, can he be considered a coward? This is an open question.
Synonyms
Let us stop thinking about the phenomenon of excessive fear in the face of danger with synonyms for the noun “coward”. The list is as follows:
- Bunny
- rabbit soul;
- warrior anika;
- cowardly;
- wet chicken.
Unfortunately, this time it is impossible to please the reader with an abundance of synonyms on the topic. It's also about censorship. We cannot place most of the definitions that beg for moral reasons, because they are indecent. Anika warrior is an allegorical expression for a person who boasts of courage far from real danger. The image is rooted in Russian folklore. In short, the essence of the story is this: one warrior boasted of his valor and offended the defenseless. Then on some road he met Death, and he also rushes at it, unaware of fear. The snub-nosed warrior, of course, conquers, and he prays for mercy, but Death takes him to his kingdom. Moral: being a coward is not bad, at least sometimes.
Courage as an object of manipulation
Sometimes, when it is known that a person is terribly brave, cunning people can play on his weakness. On the one hand, courage is a virtue, and on the other hand, when it degenerates into bravado, it is a disadvantage.
Let us recall the almost textbook example of Marty McFly, who, from part to part of the famous epic "Back to the Future," came across the same thing - an inferiority complex. Marty was afraid that others would not think that he was a coward (the meaning of the word does not need to be explained). Scriptwriters forced the character to play the same situation again and again, like skilled therapists, so that the hero finally draws the correct conclusion: the opinions of others are not the most important thing in life.
Everything is good in moderation
Perhaps the reader already thought that we are defending cowards and their shameful habits. But no, the idea is completely different. The latter is reflected in the title of the subtitle. The question of what is cowardice and cowardice can be answered in different ways. Everyone knows the classic character, the protagonist of the story "The Man in the Case", who was totally afraid of life, of any manifestation of it. And the famous phrase “No matter what happens” became the motto. And then the conditional case became quite real. Such a phenomenon can hardly be called cowardice. The hero of A.P. Chekhov simply has a soul numb from fear - this is one extreme. The other extreme is when a person rushes into all serious, without thinking about the consequences.
For example, it may be that other people manipulate the person in their own interests. Knowing the propensity for bravado, you can bring troubles on the head of the “brave man”, and you can stay away. When the daredevil realizes that he was framed, it will be too late. And there are as many such stories as you want. Caution is one thing, and cowardice and coward are quite another; we have already given the definition of the last characteristics of man a little earlier. When people talk about the first quality, they usually praise a person, and when they talk about the second, they scold. But subjectively, both cowardice and caution feed on one source - the instinct of self-preservation, that is, fear. In other words, cowardice is nominally mean and low, but you should not judge someone for cowardice without knowing the details. Fear is a completely natural reaction, although it is socially condemned.