Cowardice versus Courage

The increasing number of cowards in society is causing a decline in ethical conduct - personal and professional.

Let's look at the difference between cowardice and courage. One dictionary defines cowardice as a lack of courage to face danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc. Hence, we can define courage as strength and boldness in the presence of danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc. 

What makes some cowards and other heroes? One possibility could be genetic wiring. Another explanation can be upbringing. If the family has a strong foundation of values that govern the behaviour of their members, those members will not let external factors influence them to compromise. Also, a regular dose of tough experiences chisels a person to either become brave or timid depending on how they reacted to those experiences. 

People tend to compromise as it gives them a false sense of security and also maintains peace with the source they are compromising with. They rationalize their lack of ability to speak up, confront or take action with illogical excuses to protect their cowardness. However, this is not true for all humans. There are those who are driven by their convictions and won't retreat in the presence of danger. One such hero is my dad, who is an enormous source of inspiration for me. He has been exposing corruption and fighting for the truth for years despite the physical attacks and threats he received. He forges ahead like a fearless warrior on a battlefield. I strongly believe that no one can claim to be a warrior unless they have bravely faced wars and oppositions. My strong sense of ethics and morality has come by watching my dad stand up for what he believes in every single day. I'm known for my straightforwardness, who will not mince words but will call a spade a spade and I owe this to my dad. The army is made up of valiant men and women. There is no room for cowards.

Men and women of courage are individuals who act - they take action and avoid empty promises. Courageous people are not afraid to stand up or stand alone in the face of challenges, they are not afraid to confront wrongdoing nor are they afraid to expose it. Courage is pervasive - it dominates all aspects of the individual's life because his/her behavior is governed by ethical principles. One cannot be courageous in one situation and coward in another - that is a person who lacks values and ethics and is faking boldness. As Nassim Taleb in his book wrote: "Courage is the only virtue you cannot fake".