Becoming a Non-Coward

“I discovered that the world should be divided not into good and bad people but into cowards and non-cowards. Ninety-five percent of cowards are capable of the vilest things, lethal things, at the mildest threat.” – Varlam Shalamov

Naomi Brockwell shared this quote from a Paris Review article on Twitter today. It is a powerful and illuminating point.

When we hear of terrible historic events, we imagine that faced with the same situation, we would choose differently because we are good and the Nazi soldiers, Communists, or other villains were evil.

But that is what people have always thought. They imagine that when the stakes are high enough, they will make the right choices over the easy choices.

Even though they take the easy way out every single day, they still maintain the illusion.

They choose not to disagree with their boss, when their boss is clearly wrong, but imagine they will disobey an authoritarian police force.

They choose not to go the gym, when they ought to exercise more, but imagine they will turn down opportunities to get ahead at the expense of others.

They choose to not correct a mistake a cashier makes at the grocery store, when it saves them mone, but imagine they will speak up about injustice when people are being persecuted.

But if you choose to be a coward when the stakes are so low, why would you ever choose not to when your life is on the line?

The answer is you wouldn’t.

The only way to be a non-coward when it matters the most is to be a non-coward when it matters the least.

So when you go to work tomorrow, choose to be a non-coward. Do the hard things, face your challenges head-on, do and say what you believe to be right regardless of the consequences.