--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be afraid is the miserable condition…" description: "\"To be afraid is the miserable condition of a coward. To do wrong, or omit to do right from fear, is to superadd delinquency to cowardice.\" — David Dudl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/david-dudley-field-ii-62524_conditions_to-be-afraid-is-the-miserable-condition_1147488.jpg" --- # To be afraid is the miserable condition of a coward. To do… ![“To be afraid is the miserable condition of a coward. To do wrong, or omit to do right from fear, is to superadd delinquency to cowardice.” quote by David Dudley Field II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/david-dudley-field-ii-62524_conditions_to-be-afraid-is-the-miserable-condition_1147488.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/david-dudley-field-ii-62524_conditions_to-be-afraid-is-the-miserable-condition_1147488.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/david-dudley-field-ii-62524_conditions_to-be-afraid-is-the-miserable-condition_1147488.jpg) > “To be afraid is the miserable condition of a coward. To do wrong, or omit to do right from fear, is to superadd delinquency to cowardice.” [David Dudley Field II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dudley-field-ii/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cowardice leads to fear‑driven wrongdoing, compounding moral failure. **In simple terms:** Fear makes cowards act badly. Key Takeaway Confront fear directly. Themes courage ethics personal responsibility Mood serious thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - public speaking - conflict resolution - leadership decisions Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology of fear Questions to Reflect On - What fears hold you back? - Can fear ever be justified? A Different Perspective Fear can be paralyzing; not all fear is cowardice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Condition Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condition-coward-3227544/) [Conditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conditions/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coward/) [Cowardice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardice/) [Delinquency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delinquency/) [Delinquency Cowardice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delinquency-cowardice-3227545/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) ## Related quotes > [He who despairs of the human condition is a coward, but he who has hope for it is a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/he-who-despairs-of-the-human-condition-is-a-coward-but-he-who-has/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“...as we are endowed. ...with rhetorics. ...none will deny. ...of innocence. ...towards scribbling. ...of love lines. ...and of lust. ...to what seems like male.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/as-we-are-endowed-with-rhetorics-none-will-deny-of-innocence-towards/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“Cowardice can imitate heroism if given no where to flee”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/cowardice-can-imitate-heroism-if-given-no-where-to-flee/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [No cowardice, no sin, no crime, no weakness - the rest will come of itself. . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/no-cowardice-no-sin-no-crime-no-weakness-the-rest-will-come-of-itself/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [It's praiseworthy to be brave and fearless, but it's sometimes better to be a coward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-praiseworthy-to-be-brave-and-fearless-but-it-s-sometimes-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [They say cowardice is infectious; but then argument is, on the other hand, a great emboldener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-cowardice-is-infectious-but-then-argument-is-on-the-other/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest braggarts are usually the biggest cowards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-greatest-braggarts-are-usually-the-biggest-cowards/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“Tom's cowardice was as huge as his courage, as it must be in great men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/tom-s-cowardice-was-as-huge-as-his-courage-as-it-must-be-in-great-men/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Cowardice... is almost always simply a lack of ability to suspend functioning of the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/cowardice-is-almost-always-simply-a-lack-of-ability-to-suspend/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I'm a hero wid coward's legs, I'm a hero from the waist up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-milligan/i-m-a-hero-wid-coward-s-legs-i-m-a-hero-from-the-waist-up/) [Spike Milligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-milligan/) > [The biggest coward is a man who awakens a womans love with no intention of loving her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-biggest-coward-is-a-man-who-awakens-a-womans-love-with-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No police or military in the world can protect people who are cowards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-police-or-military-in-the-world-can-protect-people-who-are-cowards/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“People run away from the love game because they know they won't win the race.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/people-run-away-from-the-love-game-because-they-know-they-won-t-win/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Is there cowardice with the acknowledgement of fear?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/is-there-cowardice-with-the-acknowledgement-of-fear/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“To stand at the very moment when all seems lost is the point of insanity for the coward, but it is the home of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-stand-at-the-very-moment-when-all-seems-lost-is-the-point-of/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) ## More by David Dudley Field II > [Government is the greatest combination for forces known to human society. It can command more men and raise more money than any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dudley-field-ii/government-is-the-greatest-combination-for-forces-known-to-human/) [David Dudley Field II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dudley-field-ii/) > [To have the power of forgetting, for the time, self, friends, interests, relationship; and to think of doing right toward another, a stranger, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dudley-field-ii/to-have-the-power-of-forgetting-for-the-time-self-friends-interests/) [David Dudley Field II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dudley-field-ii/) > [The union of the states is indissoluble; the country is undivided and indivisible forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dudley-field-ii/the-union-of-the-states-is-indissoluble-the-country-is-undivided-and/) [David Dudley Field II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dudley-field-ii/) > [Judges are but men, and are swayed like other men by vehement prejudices. This is corruption in reality, give it whatever other name you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dudley-field-ii/judges-are-but-men-and-are-swayed-like-other-men-by-vehement/) [David Dudley Field II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dudley-field-ii/) [Explore all 5 David Dudley Field II quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dudley-field-ii/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) [Darlene Senger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-senger/) > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) [Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be afraid is the miserable condition of a coward. 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