“Cowardice is impotence worse than violence. The coward desires revenge but being afraid to die, he looks to others, maybe to the government of the day, to do the work of defense for him. A coward is less than a man. He does not deserve to be a member of a society of men and women.”
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Source: Young India, 11 August 1920 (CWMG Vol. 21, p. 133) - nonviolence-vs-cowardice essay.
About this quote
Nonviolence is set apart here from mere passivity. The coward wants revenge but, afraid to risk himself, hopes someone else will do the dangerous work. Genuine peace takes more courage than fighting, not less; fear dressed up as restraint is the deeper failure.
When to use it
- A teammate who dislikes a colleague's bullying confronts him directly instead of muttering to everyone else.
- During a robbery a shopkeeper stays composed and shields her customers rather than freezing and hoping others act.
- A student who witnesses cheating reports it openly instead of quietly waiting for a teacher to notice.