---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And it was cowardly for a man to say he…"
description: "\"“And it was cowardly for a man to say he would kill himself, but Septimus had fought; he was brave; he was not Septimus now”\" — Virginia Woolf"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/virginia-woolf-49_cowardly_and-it-was-cowardly-for-a-man-to-say-he_288460.jpg"
---

#  And it was cowardly for a man to say he would kill…

![“And it was cowardly for a man to say he would kill himself, but Septimus had fought; he was brave; he was not Septimus now” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/virginia-woolf-49_cowardly_and-it-was-cowardly-for-a-man-to-say-he_288460.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/virginia-woolf-49_cowardly_and-it-was-cowardly-for-a-man-to-say-he_288460.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/virginia-woolf-49_cowardly_and-it-was-cowardly-for-a-man-to-say-he_288460.jpg)

> ““And it was cowardly for a man to say he would kill himself, but Septimus had fought; he was brave; he was not Septimus now””

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

## About This Quote

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

Bravery involves confronting inner turmoil, not just external threats.

**In simple terms:** True bravery faces inner conflict.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge and act on inner struggles.

Themes

bravery self‑acceptance identity

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- mental health counseling
- personal growth
- creative expression

Key Concepts

psychology existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- What inner battles do you need to face?
- How does acknowledging fear change your actions?

A Different Perspective

Focusing on external bravery can ignore deeper personal wounds.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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> [“I’m a coward.” “No—” “Don’t deny what we both know to be true.” Richard put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “You are worn down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sondra-allan-carr/i-m-a-coward-no-don-t-deny-what-we-both-know-to-be-true-richard-put/)

[Sondra Allan Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sondra-allan-carr/)

> [ “\[...\] god's cowardly, it doesn't want to know or take responsibility for what it's doing.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-aylett/god-s-cowardly-it-doesn-t-want-to-know-or-take-responsibility-for/)

[Steve Aylett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-aylett/)

> [You're obliged to pretend respect for people and institutions you think absurd. You live attached in a cowardly fashion to moral and social conventions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/you-re-obliged-to-pretend-respect-for-people-and-institutions-you/)

[Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/)

> [To go behind a man's hall-door is mean, cowardly, unfair opposition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-woodhull/to-go-behind-a-man-s-hall-door-is-mean-cowardly-unfair-opposition/)

[Victoria Woodhull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-woodhull/)

> [Not to be cowardly when it comes to our own actions! Not to leave them in the lurch!--The sting of conscience is indecent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/not-to-be-cowardly-when-it-comes-to-our-own-actions-not-to-leave-them/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [It is no less vain to wish death than it is cowardly to fear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/it-is-no-less-vain-to-wish-death-than-it-is-cowardly-to-fear-it/)

[Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/)

> [The world, and the great and free United States in particular, is full of narrow-minded, ignorant, moronic, bigoted, cowardly, self-righteous, anemic, pig-headed, stupid, puritanical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-world-and-the-great-and-free-united-states-in-particular-is-full/)

[Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/)

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[Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/)

> [A love to Christ which is so cowardly and selfish that it is unwilling to proclaim by a public confession its faith in Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbott-eliot-kittredge/a-love-to-christ-which-is-so-cowardly-and-selfish-that-it-is/)

[Abbott Eliot Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbott-eliot-kittredge/)

## More by Virginia Woolf

> [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/)

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> [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/)

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> [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/)

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[Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

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> [A love to Christ which is so cowardly and selfish that it is unwilling to proclaim by a public confession its faith in Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbott-eliot-kittredge/a-love-to-christ-which-is-so-cowardly-and-selfish-that-it-is/)

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