---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people do the cowardly thing, it's…"
description: "\"When people do the cowardly thing, it's not about respect, it's about fear.\" — Salman Rushdie"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/salman-rushdie-153_about_when-people-do-the-cowardly-thing-it-s-n_464004.jpg"
---

#  When people do the cowardly thing, it's not about respect…

![“When people do the cowardly thing, it's not about respect, it's about fear.” quote by Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/salman-rushdie-153_about_when-people-do-the-cowardly-thing-it-s-n_464004.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/salman-rushdie-153_about_when-people-do-the-cowardly-thing-it-s-n_464004.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb1/salman-rushdie-153_about_when-people-do-the-cowardly-thing-it-s-n_464004.jpg)

> “When people do the cowardly thing, it's not about respect, it's about fear.”

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Cowardice stems from fear, not respect, revealing underlying insecurities.

**In simple terms:** Cowardice is driven by fear.

Key Takeaway

Address fear directly.

Themes

courage fear respect

Mood

reflective critical

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- leadership
- public speaking
- conflict situations

Key Concepts

psychology of bravery social behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- What fears drive your hesitant actions?
- How can you transform fear into respect?

A Different Perspective

Fear can be rationalized as respect.

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[About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Cowardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardly/) [Cowardly Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardly-thing-4024671/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Cowardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-cowardly-1658266/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Respect Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-fear-760189/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/)

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