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December    11th

DIGNITY AND BRAVERY

“As Cicero  says,   we  hate    gladiators  if  they    are quick   to  save    their   lives   by  any means;  we  favor

them    if  they    show    contempt    for their   lives.”

—SENECA,    ON  TRANQUILITY OF  MIND,   11.4b

yndon Johnson’s college classmates used to tell an embarrassing story about him. Johnson apparently
had a big mouth and felt he had to constantly dominate and intimidate others. Yet his biographer,
Robert Caro, makes it clear that when someone stood up to young Lyndon, he proved himself to be a
complete coward. In one instance, during an argument over a poker game, instead of fighting, Johnson
threw himself on a bed and “began kicking his feet in the air with a frantic, windmilling motion . . . like a
girl.” He shouted, “If you hit me, I’ll kick you! If you hit me, I’ll kick you!”
Later in his life, Johnson also worked extremely hard to avoid serving in World War II and lived it up
in California while other soldiers fought and died abroad. He later claimed to be a war hero. It was one
of his most shameful lies.
We do not need to disregard our physical safety or engage in wanton acts of violence to be brave. But
nobody respects a coward. Nobody likes a shirker of duty. Nobody admires a person who puts too high a
price on their own comfort and needs.
That’s the irony of cowardice. It’s aimed at self-protection, but it creates shameful secrets. Self-
preservation is hardly worth it because of everything it costs in return.
Be brave. Be dignified.