Choose Courage NOT to Use the Word “Coward”

 

Using the word “coward” (or “cowardice”) to characterize either yourself or another involves a resistance to fear and misses an opportunity for choosing courage.

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What is cowardice?

 

Let me explain. The American Heritage Dictionary defines cowardice as “Ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain.”

 

Both from our everyday feeling about the words “coward” and “cowardice” and from the above definition, we know that whomever we might call a coward (either ourselves or another)  is engaging in a blameworthy and dishonorable action.

 

To act cowardly then is, in some measure, to engage in a wrong, bad, immoral, sinful, evil, or unprincipled act.

 

Yet, if we strip away the judgmental connotations of the word “coward,”  what is left of the denotative meaning? “Coward” then is only the choice to feel safe  (not necessarily be safe) in the moment at the expense of not going for what we really want  and/or are committed to.

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Our motive when calling ourselves or another a coward

 

When we use the word “coward” (or wimp), however, we are not interested in communicating this simple denotative meaning. What we are interested in is expressing our make-wrong, blaming attitude toward a particular human (whether ourselves or another). As such our action of placing blame by using the word “coward” is in itself a resistance to fear (fear of acknowledging and embracing our own or another’s

desire to feel safe and comfortable in the moment; fear of what will happen if we don’t try to change the

“coward’s” behavior by blaming him or her) and misses an important opportunity for choosing courage.

 

As such, coward is a toxic word and, for the most part, let’s avoid its use altogether.

 

I have coined a new term called “coverage.” Coverage is the antonym of courage. Coverage is the choice to feel safe and comfortable (not necessarily be safe) in the moment at the expense of not going for what 

we really want and/or are committed to. There is nothing wrong with choosing coverage. We will accrue certain costs and benefits from choosing coverage. We will accrue different costs and benefits 

from choosing courage. Most often coverage provides the benefit of feeling safe and comfortable in the moment at the expense of longer range safety and results.

 

Explore the opportunities for choosing courage by embracing the fear in order to not call yourself or another a coward.