On Cowardice

Some thoughts (preliminary):

Some thoughts (preliminary):

• It’s human nature

But what is it?

• Fear masquerading as avoidance

And what does this mean? What does it do?

• Undermine our own integrity. Debase us as human beings. Sacrifice our “values” at the altar of What-We-Are-Prepared-To-Accept-As-Realism.

We are all cowards, sometimes. We all hold ourselves back, despite knowing not only that we “should” do otherwise, but that we want to. When we go against what we believe is right, we lose ourselves in the process.

Such is life.

She sighs.

But no.

It doesn’t have to be.

This is what I believe.

I believe it because I have to, for me. For my own personal integrity. I don’t care if it’s ridiculous, if I myself am ridiculed for it, if this affects the extent to which I am “taken seriously” — which, at this present moment, is a lost cause anyway- because I have nothing to prove. This is not for you.

This is personal.

And yes, it’s on the internet; plenty of “personal” things are. Inverted commas optional, a la my favourite Atwood quot…