Living with Cowards

(Picture by Jafar Shameem)

The Webster dictionary defines coward as one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity, a coward who deserted his troops.

It does appear that coward is a bad word. He is someone who’s afraid of doing something daring or dangerous. Really? Does being afraid of something dangerous make someone a coward? Is a person cowardly if he avoids doing something difficult or unpleasant?

Those times are long gone. We do not  live in a world where when we sit next to the white man or a Zamindar and get into a fight, or get into a brawl in a bar that leads to a gun duel, all these just to prove our courage!

The coward today is much more sophisticated, dressed in a costly suit, loquacious and verbose, makes sure that he does not  do anything different for fear of upsetting people with whom he really is, i.e. his base.

I think we are all victims to them and we have met such people. We call them our leaders, friends or family even. It’s a scary fact of life, but a fact nonetheless and we are presently living with it!

How come we fail to identify them? Let me share a few signs of the real cowards who live with us and are fooling us. Maybe this may help you in recognizing and distancing them from your life. Here briefly are the qualities of our modern coward which I have ferreted out :

• He fears honesty. He is not only dishonest, but he fears honesty completely. The Coward knows his true character is not worth a damn to others, so he lies and creates a larger than life image for others. This is to elevate himself on an illusion pedestal to tower over others; basically deluded, he revels in his own fake world in which he lives and will die for it.
•  He shuns learned and strong people. He has an inferiority complex towards good, honest persons as he fears that they would call him out on his bullshit and that he will not be able to hide and fight back if confronted. Though the irony is that he secretly admires and looks up to them, but is always on their wrong side! 
• His Companions are his weak-minded followers (bhakts) with whom he hangs out and takes advantage. He acts super nice towards them at first and bares his fangs later on in case they relent and leave him.
• He manipulates words and utters flowery language to mesmerize people. He is fully aware and knows there is nothing much to show for in his character, hence banks on cheap talk and empty words to get his way. Do remember that a coward needs words to show off, whereas a brave person just takes action and makes it happen and his achievements speak for itself.
• Apologizing is not in his genes. He does not dare to do right to the people he has wronged for fear of criticism or even punishment. He is afraid to look at himself in the mirror for he thinks he has become a monster for screwing up so many times.
• He blames everyone and everything else but himself. It forever is someone else’s fault as he refuses to face the truth.
• He deliberately  confuses excuses for reasons. He is always ready to conjure up some excuse and then swear by them. He can not ever shut up and accept the fact that he has muddled up. He makes up excuses and confuses excuses for reason. He is always ready to cook up some excuse and then swear by them.
•  He creates dramas when things go wrong, hoping that it would distract others and gain their sympathy.
• He is a master bully. Instead of facing his problems to better himself, he takes it out on others.
• He creates an online persona. Realizing that the social media likes, shares and comments make a person, he takes the easy route online and tries to build up his avatar through it. He does not dare face the world for real, tangible face to face dialogues or interactions.
• He aggressively uses sarcasm and subtle nonsense. He thinks he is always gaining the upper hand with his childish antics.
• He fights back to cover up his fault when realizing that he is not right. Indulges in  arguments by bringing shortcomings of others to divert from the main point, which he has blundered,  in the first place.
• He believes he should never retreat. He is unable to face reality, especially after he has messed up so badly, apprehending that nobody is going to forgive him or believe in him and that he will lose out to his mentors and followers (bhakts). 

The coward as we face today will continue the self-destructive path, it is entirely up to us, as a better person, to make the positive choice to identify them.

I have identified a few cowards especially those hovering on the global scene and will continue to share my concerns with you through this blog. 

You too might as well do the same! I know you will! You are a winner, yes?

	(Picture by Jafar Shameem)
	For more pictures by Jafar Shameem, please log on to https://www.jafar.com/

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