Am I a coward?

Question

Alright today I wanted to give blood, sure I wanted to help save lifes but it was also for a different reason. A year ago my teacher called my a coward. It didn't bother me back then, but after I examind my behavior I figured out I was a coward. I can never say things to peoples faces and I can nevr keep a secret because I'm way to scared of keeping it in. I'm terrified of dogs and blood and neeedles feak me out. Well I wanted to prove her and myslef wrong. That I had at least some courage. When I got there I was all nervouse and shakey. I couldn't sit still for more than a second. They saw all the anxiety I had and decided that it was best if I went back to class. I was asked before hand if I wanted to back out but I refused. It wasn't until the point where I was forced to leave that I gave in, but I still gave in. I wish I could have helped how nervouse I was. So my question is...Am I still a coward? even though I was willing to go through with it even though my body wasn't?

Answer 1

Cowardice is an action (or inaction), not just an intent.

Cowardice is the mental inability to defeat one's fear. Your desire to do otherwise is irrelevent to the definition. So the actions you described were those of cowardice. Nothing prevented you from accomplishing your goals EXCEPT your fears. (There was no potential harmful outcome from that act - being afraid of jumping off a bridge is not cowardly, because you are avoiding a harmful outcome). While the teacher may have been harsh, she was honest. You'd rather have that than dishonest. Look at you now, trying to become a better person as a direct result of her straight forward appraisal.

The good news, to paraphrase a great modern philosoper: "a coward is as a coward does". You stop being a coward the minute you stop letting fear (alone) influence your actions. Convince yourself that defeating this fear is more important to you than seccumbing to it. That seccumbing to this fear is the ultimate act of selfishness in the face of the ultimate act of charity that giving blood is. That a prick in the arm is a god-sent gift compared to the pain being suffered by the person your blood will comfort.

Pick any reason that works for you. Focus on it. Remember to breathe, and do it.

Answer 2

I can't tell you how many people have called me brave in life, but to me I am not brave and you are not a coward, it took courage to say what you said here. My bravery is sometimes out of stupidity if that makes sense, but it isn't stupid, it is naiveness that makes me bold. You know that it hurts to get your blood taken and you know that it hurts to hold some thing in some times and you know that it hurts when you say some things to others faces. No, I don't think you are a coward, and if I ever said it that would be only out of my own frustration like your teacher did to you, more a reflection of me then you.

What is bravery is it being bold enough to go first into the firing line, or is it being smart enough to step back and get someone else to do it? I guess you have to make that decission. And don't let others push your buttons, do what you think is right, when you don't do what you think is right not what others think is right for you, then that is when maybe I would call you a coward and mean it.

You have a right to be who you are and be accepted for who you are. Does it make you good or bad? I don't know, but at least you are honest. So just another thought to add to this pot pourri. I think your teacher was wrong, but I don't know the whole story either, maybe they were right in some ways? You see these are only words and questions.

Answer 3

Well for one thing DON'T do what Mr. Sir said. That's crazy!! Do you wanna die if u try that? If u do and live people may think u r CRAZY not a coward. Do u want that? I am gonna put your situation this way. Some people are frightened more easily then others. Otherwords you are NOT a coward. Needles are not fun. Believe me. If I was you I would have done it..for those who need blood...no matter how painful it is. I try to think of others. Hope I helped. have a good day! : )

Answer 4

No you aren't. I too am TERRIFIED of giving blood. The last time I had a blood test I passed out of shock afterward. I landed on the offices' informtional flier holder (shelf-thingy) and broke it. That was a year and a half ago.You can still see where some of the plastic broke off. Haha.

Actually, I think you are simply low on confidence. Be sure of yourself; become stronger by figuring out who you REALLY are and becoming comfortable with that person.

Sharing your secrets shows courage. Never believe otherwise.

No one can say you are a coward unless they truly know your heart and mind. Do YOU think you are a coward? As I said, self confidence issues.

Courage means how you deal with your fears, not being fearless.

Answer 5

umm, hey u shouldn't force yrself to do something u don't want to. And stop calling yrself a coward for a start. I think if u keep calling or picturing yrself as it is, then u gonna feel like that all the time even if yre not. If u really want to change, then begin with small things. Also sometimes fear of doing something can be due to having bad memories of certain thing in the past or it could be just u being paranoid. I mean, I can't take pills well. It takes me ages all the time. When I took my first pill, i even cried and my body kept rejecting it(I threw it all up). Don't force yrself! And be confident and have faith in yrself! This is the very first few things u need to do b4 u do anything.

Answer 6

Just know that there is a slight difference between being coward and fear. If you can go beyond the question and try to figure out the reason behind your anxiety, fear...u wont be coward anymore. at least you gave it a shot! and someone whose a coward cant really do that. UR NOT coward, and inside of u ..u know that. all u need to do is tell ur fear that, and it will vanish.

Answer 7

Being scared doesn't mean you a coward, a lot of people hate needles. I hate needles and it was wrong for your teacher to call you a coward. She's a bad teacher for calling you that and I'm pretty sure that goes against school guidelines.

But if you don't want to be afraid, you need to confront your fears.

Answer 8

You had a teacher that called you a coward? I should hope you reported him/her to the Principal. Coaches might be under the barbarian impression that insults "build character" but they don't. It's a type of psychological abuse.

And just because you don't like conflict or needles (LOTS of "brave" people are squeamish around needles) doesn't make you a coward.

If you haven't already, show this antiquated teacher how non-cowardly you are by reporting him/her to your principal or a counselor. Abusers should NOT be in the classroom.

Answer 9

It sounds to me like you are trying your best to face your fear. If you were a coward, you wouldn't even have tried. Give it another try next year, except next time try not to focus on the fear as much as the act of giving life to someone. You deserve a pat on the back for trying, even if it didn't work out this time. Don't be so hard on yourself!

Answer 10

Your still young, allow yourself some time to age and get sick of peoples crap and you wont be. Dont be to hard on yourself and your teacher sounds like an ***. You will change in time and figure out what you stand for, now if your 40 and still afraid of everything....well then thats another question.