Everyone is afraid, complete fearlessness is a sign of a mental disorder. However, the daredevil is able to overcome his fear in the name of some cause, and fear is always a coward. Why is cowardice condemned? This question was asked by many writers. I think that this is a coward's weakness, which is embarrassing not to try to overcome.
Boris, the hero of the drama A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", at first glance, stands apart from the inhabitants of the city: dressed in European dress, educated, knows how to speak fluently. However, in the soul of this person lurks the same fear as everyone else. He is afraid of his uncle Wild, public opinion. That’s why Boris was frightened of Katerina’s love: she cannot agree to secret meetings, deceiving her husband and mother-in-law, the situation “everything is possible, if only it’s sewn-covered” is abhorrent to her. She gives herself completely to sinful love, preparing to answer for short happiness. Boris was afraid of responsibility, condemnation, economic sanctions from his uncle. He turned out to be cowardly and weak, and these qualities pushed Katerina, who did not find any understanding, to commit suicide. In this example, cowardice is condemned because it caused a person to suffer.
Boris’s cowardice cut short Katerina’s life, but cowardice in a war can kill thousands of people. Zherkov, the hero of the epic novel "War and Peace" L.N. Tolstoy, was attached to the warm place of the adjutant Bagration. Here he amused the whole headquarters, mocked the chiefs and grimaced. The work is dustless, but auspicious in terms of career. And at the decisive moment, the adjutant was afraid, during the Battle of Shengraben he could not force himself to go under the bullets in order to convey the order for the retreat. Many of Tushin’s battery and Timokhin’s company died as they were cut off by the enemy, but they were faithful to the oath and fought to the end.
To be a coward is not only embarrassing, but also dangerous. Moreover, this danger is not personal, but public, which is why this quality must be eradicated in itself, because it is not known how our cowardice in the future can respond.
