Why am I a coward?

[Philosophos]

Right know I'm a coward. No joking I think I'm a big coward that even if the revolution occurs I might not take part in it. I haven't done lot's of revolutionary things and I really doupt if I'm going to take part in them especially if I grow older.

The above things made me wonder: Why am I such a coward?
Is it maybe because my father is right-winged-closed-minded-racist-sonofa***** and I'm trying to get "approval from him".
Is it because my parents in general brainwashed me (with the media) that whoever fights for his rights is stupid/anarchist (the media anarchists=chaos)
and he will spend his life in jail?

Is it because nobody "starts" the revolution? I know this is not supposed to be an excuse but there are lots of people thinking this way.

Have you ever thought this way? Maybe right now? What have you done about it?

Please help I'm tired of being like this :(

[Art Vandelay]

Dude Greece is a fucking scary place right now, I'd probably be shitting my pants when if I lived there; however, that being said, I can't really relate, cause I haven't wanted to be alive for a long time, so going out for the cause would be the best way in my opinion. But I think its perfectly normal to be scared, especially given your situation, however that doesn't mean you shouldn't take part in the struggle in the manner in which you feel most comfortable with. You can take part in completely legal, above ground struggle if you wish.

[Thirsty Crow]

Dude Greece is a fucking scary place right now, I'd probably be shitting my pants when if I lived there; however, that being said, I can't really relate, cause I haven't wanted to be alive for a long time, so going out for the cause would be the best way in my opinion. But I think its perfectly normal to be scared, especially given your situation, however that doesn't mean you shouldn't take part in the struggle in the manner in which you feel most comfortable with. You can take part in completely legal, above ground struggle if you wish.
Absolutely this.

There is no point in beating yourself over the head for fear. It is quite normal and to be expected.

In the end, you need to find out for yourself if your parents have something to do with it. But the more obvious point is that the actual violence and the overall "atmosphere" would scare anyone who has a sense of self-preservation. That doesn't, of course, mean that you can't logically end up in action during some struggle or another.

[ВАЛТЕР]

You never know how you will react in a situation until it takes place. Greece is in a position that can be frightening, but you must take it one day at a time. YOU contribute to the struggle as much as YOU feel comfortable with. Maybe all you can do is talk to people, but that is still something. Never underestimate how important you are to the cause. Even a complex machine must have its tiny screws and bolts in order to function.

[Sasha]

Also, the revolution needs cooks as much as fighters, being at the front is just not for everyone, I even saw people who where hardened streetfighters for ages break down and quit, while I saw ppl who never where involved rise to the occasion. Just find something you feel usefull in, be it writing articles, designing posters and pamflets, making pirate radio, cooking, arrested support group, police observer etc etc etc. Ppl who can throw a brick come a dime a dozen but they don't carry an revolutionary infrastructure.

[o well this is ok I guess]

I never thought I could fight the first time I got in a fight.
You know, turned out I really was no good at fighting, but I totally did anyways.
You don't really know what sort of mindset you'll have in that sort of situation until you're in it. You may as well just prepare yourself as best you can.
But what psych said above is probably the best thing. Fighting is the least important part of struggle, even armed struggle.

[Brutus]

Who cares? I'm not a 'coward' as you put it, but who cares? We don't want everyone to be fighters- the revolution would fail! Try writing, propaganda, etc.
We need an educator as much as an agitator or organiser

[Ostrinski]

Your concerns are perfectly natural.

To be honest I think the fact that because you have these legitimate concerns you see yourself as a coward is just reflective of the effect that patriarchal society has on males. "BE A MAN!" macho bullshit and all that.

[cyu]

Just because you declare yourself a revolutionary, it doesn't mean you're bound by honor to go right out and execute the first exploitive CEO you can find.

Just try something today slightly more radical than what you did yesterday. If you're comfortable with that, do it some more, or do something slightly more radical the day after that, and see how that suits you.

If you are currently a right-wing riot cop, try *not* randomly beating your fellow human beings today. If you are a random guy working near radicals, try providing them some small service for free or sneak them something that wouldn't be missed. If you've never been to a protest, drop by - take pictures if you don't want to be directly involved. If you're just a random protest photographer, try some investigative reporting - root out corruption in the system and expose it.

[Decolonize The Left]

Remember that much cowardice comes from investigating the unknown, where fear is liberated from the bonds of reality and allowed to build upon itself with the infinite fuel of imagination.

Engels has a nice passage about the revolution and individuals which may be of help to you:

"In the second place, however, history is made in such a way that the final result always arises from conflicts between many individual wills, of which each in turn has been made what it is by a host of particular conditions of life. Thus there are innumerable intersecting forces, an infinite series of parallelograms of forces which give rise to one resultant - the historical event. This may again itself be viewed as the product of a power which works as a whole unconsciously and without volition. For what each individual wills is obstructed by everyone else, and what emerges is something that no one willed. Thus history has proceeded hitherto in the manner of a natural process and is essentially subject to the same laws of motion. But from the fact that the wills of individuals - each of whom desires what he is impelled to by his physical constitution and external, in the last resort economic, circumstances (either his own personal circumstances or those of society in general) - do not attain what they want, but are merged into the aggregate mean, a common resultant, it must not be concluded that they are equal to zero. On the contrary, each contributes to the resultant and is to this extent included in it."
- Engels, Letter to Joseph Bloch, 1890

Nobody starts the revolution. Nobody plans the revolution. The revolution comes about as a result of capitalism and takes a form we have not yet seen. We may not live to see it. It may happen next year. The point is that you do what you can as best you see fit.

[Ocean Seal]

Listen man relax. You aren't a coward you are just beating yourself up over nothing. I'm sure tomorrow you will feel that you are stronger and braver. This is something that passes in time. If you are a Greek remember Aristotle. Bravery is not innate, but it is a habit. Try doing the minimum in terms of brave things immediately and then build up.

[Let's Get Free]

I would say that about 95% of people are scared of revolution. Even a great many of us here on rev left who talk a mean game of molotov cocktails, seizing the means of production, and proletarian dictatorships and all that fun stuff are afraid of revolution. Human psychology contains many dualities, one of them being that even while people understand the need for change, knowing how important it is for institutions and individuals to be occasionally renewed, they are also irritated and upset by changes that affect them personally. They know change is necessary, and that novelty provides relief from boredom, but deep inside, they cling to the present. Change in the abstract, or superficial change they desire, but change that upsets core habits and routines is deeply disturbing to them.

In general, all fear is based on death and its accomplice pain, or on being judged. Such things as these are inevitable. When you realize exactly how inevitable and how short lived life and death are, and how equally inevitable and short lived pleasure and pain are, having fear starts to seem like a waste of time.

[Rafiq]

I don't think you're a coward. Many users here dismiss and ignore their ideological turmoil and run amok with their bullshit. I think recognizing the influence of people like your father or other factors on the development of your abandonment of bourgeois thought, your concerns about whether you will be worthy of the revolution (brave enough) already makes you stronger than most of the leftists I know. It makes you a real potential revolutionary. I know you're extremely confused and I know you're facing problems but this is something no one can help you with. You must struggle with your mind yourself, and only from that post, you are likely to. Realize nothing is over until death, realize you aren't your father, that ALL great revolutionaries spat on the father (metaphorically or literally) Marx's dad was a liberal who hosted the king of prussia, and so on. For us intellectuals, it has to start somewhere, communist thought is not something that's inherited.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Probably, courage is less about being afraid or not, but doing what is right regardless of whether or not you're afraid. Not being scared probably has more in common with stupidity or hubris than bravery.

Anyway, whatever. Grow potatoes in a bucket.
It's less sexy than street fighting, but, hey, maybe successfully growing potatoes will boost your confidence. From there, you can proceed to the next task you feel is necessary - again, it might not be street fighting, but there's lots to be done. Ever grown cucumbers upsidedown? It's a real thing, I saw it at a weird hippie commune in the mountains. Oh, and take some martial arts classes, because even if you're not trading punches with cops, it will help build the muscles you'll need for gardening. Ever dug up a garden? That can be some hard fuckin' work, eh?

[Os Cangaceiros]

The self-preservation instinct is pretty strong...

Don't worry, though, as it can be overcome. You just need to have enough indoctrination drilled into your skull. Maybe some threats, too, threats and indoctrination seem to go well together.

[Delenda Carthago]

The only guys who knows if they are cowards or not in here, is Dachhound and Links Radikal. And maybe the other guy that served in Iraq, I dont remember who it was. If you havent seen war, you dont know shit about what you are or not capable of.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

A revolution is really a civil war, it's war, hence class warfare, lql, and most normal people don't want to go to war. Even people whom have been in war or been in violent situations or struggles wouldn't want too; it's natural, nothing really to do with 'cowardice' or anything. This being said, if you truly were thrust into such a situation in real life you might be surprised as to how you would respond. It's like your first hand-to-hand fight, you're nervous as shit and feel like you don't know what to do but who knows, you might knock their block off and win. You know what I mean? It's something you've never experienced, so of course while entertaining hypotheticals you might think or feel this way, most people do I think.

[Brutus]

If one enjoys killing another, then they have a problem

[cyu]

I would say that about 95% of people are scared of revolution.


Depends on the circumstances I think. Lots of Tunisians and Egyptians may have agreed with that statement a few years ago, but not so much now ;)

...and while many of the radicals in Tunisia and Egypt may have been revleft-types, I'm betting there were also a very large number that surprised even themselves how revolutionary they became when they felt the call.

[hashem]

dont worry. nobody expects you to be a hero. you can be a good revolutionary be giving class consciousness to oppressed masses and organizing them. a revolution can be successful when and if broad masses of people start doing heroic things. such things happen only when they are conscious and organized. individual bravery - if its not combined with class consciousness and organized masses - never ends well.

once i done a very "brave" act. i stood alone with my fists against a huge and brute police force. after i was released from prison, i realized that i could have been more helpful if a was more "coward". i could have distribute revolutionary leaflets and wrote slogans. by agitation and propaganda i could have convinced more people to join me and together we had a chance against the police while any of us individually could only offer a target for practice to police.

when people rise in huge masses, individual weaknesses of some can be corrected by others.

[TheRedAnarchist23]

I would say that about 95% of people are scared of revolution.

Actualy, many (portuguese) people I know are sympathetic to it. Many beleive it is the only way out of the crisis.

[Red Economist]

Given what people have written- most of it pretty accurate, honest and some even heartfelt- and that you live in greece (I can't say I envy you :scared:), I feel I should add somthing.

I am still a coward and haven't really grappled with my own beliefs and am not entirely certian of them. so, when I'm at my lowest, I will ussually tell myself asking the question that others are afriad to ask is an act of courage, and from there, all else will follow, even if I will get it wrong sometimes.
I find myself around freinds, compare myself to them, thinking that they've figured out how their lives are going to work and have or will turn out better than mine and feel that I'm wrong. Then they will say or do something and I'll realise they don't really know and that they often actaully respect me for thinking and saying what they are not prepared to do themselves because they find it just as hard.

if anything, courage comes from self-knowledge, and the wisdom to accept that we don't really know the future and the consequences of our actions, and 'knowing' in your heart that something is the right thing to do, rather than repeating empty phrases to silence your own fears. it takes time and given the latter won't make you free or happy anyway, it is worth it- but you have to discover that for yourself. cowardice isen't necessarily a bad thing as trying to be free is a steep learning curve to what the world expects us to do which is ussually "shut up and take the money".

if you're a coward it's probably because you know what your doing and that's a pretty good place to start. it means you actually want to be free and care about the consequences of your actions- and you realise that other people, maybe your parents, freinds, relatives, or an anonymous "public opinion" walking around in the street don't, or simply aren't ready for it, and will try and stop you. no-one finds that easy because no-one wants to face the future alone by fighting with the people they care about for the things they believe in. the only thing worse is consciously living the lie that they don't care- and so far I've found that is the basis of finding my own freedom. if you can, take your time and challange yourself to think what other people think is unthinkable, and you'll end up doing things you didn't have the courage to know and do what you think is right soon enough.

[Philosophos]

I would like to thank you all. What you said made me think things in a different way. Thank you all from the very bottom of my heart.

[Sasha]

and remember; its often a thin line between bravery and stupidity, wannabe heroes often get themselves (and others) hurt or killed...

fear is an very healthy emotion, key is just to not let it overcome you.

[ind_com]

Right know I'm a coward. No joking I think I'm a big coward that even if the revolution occurs I might not take part in it. I haven't done lot's of revolutionary things and I really doupt if I'm going to take part in them especially if I grow older.

The above things made me wonder: Why am I such a coward?
Is it maybe because my father is right-winged-closed-minded-racist-sonofa***** and I'm trying to get "approval from him".
Is it because my parents in general brainwashed me (with the media) that whoever fights for his rights is stupid/anarchist (the media anarchists=chaos)
and he will spend his life in jail?

Is it because nobody "starts" the revolution? I know this is not supposed to be an excuse but there are lots of people thinking this way.

Have you ever thought this way? Maybe right now? What have you done about it?

Please help I'm tired of being like this :(

There won't be any revolution in Greece anytime soon. It will be a long road of class war waged by the working class. During that process, individuals in the working class will toughen themselves in battle. Right now, most people are afraid of fighting in the revolution, but if the class war is launched and escalated steadily, then your mentality will change.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

I would like to thank you all. What you said made me think things in a different way. Thank you all from the very bottom of my heart.

I hope I don't ever have to actually pick up a gun! My hope is that the Revolutionary Left forces will unite in one Marxist party and it grows into a mass movement. Once we have a mass movement, developments could push us anytime to a majority.
It really is to me a question of numbers. I could not even think of fighting now, because there is no mass movement for Socialism. But, if a movement like this did exist, we would have to push to outnumber the Class Enemy's guns.

I believe we should not think so much about whether we are cowards or not - we should think more about how we can build a mass revolutionary Socialist organization that could then possibly outnumber the Class Enemies' guns, before even thinking about fighting.

[ellipsis]

What pyscho said. It takes all kinds and for experience I can say that the movement needs more people willing to do the mundane nitty gritty work behind the scenes.

[cyu]

http://www.revleft.com/vb/occupied-greek-factory-t178617/index.html

http://www.revleft.com/vb/occupied-greek-factory-t178630/index.html

As has been said before, will the bowling ball knock over the bowling pins anytime soon? It will when you stop holding on to the bowling ball and start bowling.

[MP5]

Greece is a damn scary place right now and the political climate there can change very quickly. We cannot forget the fascist coup of the military junta in 1967. The very same thing could very well happen today.

You are not a coward at all. I have not participated in any organized revolutionary activity either as i am rather cut off from Socialist movements of any type in Canada. *removed potentially incriminating statements* Not to mention Canada in general is completely pacified and the Canadian sheeple seem content to sit back and drink their shitty Molson Canadian lager, ***** about their hockey teams losing (fuck Vancouver seriously :mad:) and act smugly towards Americans. I really do envy the American opposition to the government and the police forces as atleast they are showing some discontent towards the state. In Canada besides a few Anarchist and Communist organizations in Montreal there is no opposition to the state at all.

Also not everyone can handle a gun and organizing political movements and political writing is just as important if not more so then fighting the forces of the state in revolutionary battle.

To quote one of my favorite revolutionaries "Everyone has their own particular part to play. No part is too great or too small, no one is too old or too young to do something" - Bobby Sands

[Ele'ill]

Right know I'm a coward. No joking I think I'm a big coward that even if the revolution occurs I might not take part in it. I haven't done lot's of revolutionary things and I really doupt if I'm going to take part in them especially if I grow older.

The above things made me wonder: Why am I such a coward?
Is it maybe because my father is right-winged-closed-minded-racist-sonofa***** and I'm trying to get "approval from him".
Is it because my parents in general brainwashed me (with the media) that whoever fights for his rights is stupid/anarchist (the media anarchists=chaos)
and he will spend his life in jail?

Is it because nobody "starts" the revolution? I know this is not supposed to be an excuse but there are lots of people thinking this way.

Have you ever thought this way? Maybe right now? What have you done about it?

Please help I'm tired of being like this :(

I think there's a lot of good advice in this thread but the other side of what appears to be the general response that it's ok not to breach your comfort zones is that people can develop avoidance to exploring and interacting in this world and that it can be unhealthy. Yes, I think society- school, family, friends, (leftists), and all the other pressures can beat you down and leave you incapable of clearly seeing alternatives to your daily actions in life or a future that's actually yours. I suggest exiting your comfort zones because what scares you now won't after a few rounds outside it. Confronting the issues that effect you like family situation you've been forced into that isn't healthy for you to be in, school that's not working for you, heated political climate, whatever it might be, is all an important part of being alive. Don't accept what's killing you.

[Sasha]

@ MP5, please don't post about criminal actions you might have done, also no talk about the other stuff I removed from your post please.

[Grigori]

You merely need to embrace the Thanatos drive. Once you realize that death is inevitable and that you may as well die laughing in its face you will come a long way.

[Comrade Nasser]

Right know I'm a coward. No joking I think I'm a big coward that even if the revolution occurs I might not take part in it. I haven't done lot's of revolutionary things and I really doupt if I'm going to take part in them especially if I grow older.

The above things made me wonder: Why am I such a coward?
Is it maybe because my father is right-winged-closed-minded-racist-sonofa***** and I'm trying to get "approval from him".
Is it because my parents in general brainwashed me (with the media) that whoever fights for his rights is stupid/anarchist (the media anarchists=chaos)
and he will spend his life in jail?

Is it because nobody "starts" the revolution? I know this is not supposed to be an excuse but there are lots of people thinking this way.

Have you ever thought this way? Maybe right now? What have you done about it?

Please help I'm tired of being like this :(

Yeah, Greece is like exploding right now. I would shit my pant's if I lived there. And it's alright if you think you're a coward (You aren't). Not everyone is fit to be at the forefront of the revolution. There's many place's for you in the revolution, even if you feel like you aren't contributing much.

[Johnny Cash]

Σε πορείες κατεβαίνεις σύντροφε ?

[cyu]

I really do envy the American opposition to the government and the police forces as atleast they are showing some discontent towards the state. In Canada besides a few Anarchist and Communist organizations in Montreal there is no opposition to the state at all.

Actually I think those students scared the politicians a lot more than I (or the politicians themselves) expected: http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2580322&postcount=22

[Dean]

Σε πορείες κατεβαίνεις σύντροφε ?

Google translate says this means: "Marches descend comrade?"

We have a dedicated Greek forum at RevLeft, otherwise, I recommend using http://translate.google.com if you would like to post in the main forums.

[Philosophos]

Σε πορείες κατεβαίνεις σύντροφε ?

Where I am right now there aren't lots... At the same time if some exists it's from syriza or some others that don't reflect to my views.... Also if you want to write something in greek just pm me. people here don't want other than english in most parts of the forum

[Johnny Cash]

Google translate says this means: "Marches descend comrade?"

We have a dedicated Greek forum at RevLeft, otherwise, I recommend using if you would like to post in the main forums.
Sorry.I asked him if he goes on protest marches.

[Rafiq]

when people rise in huge masses, individual weaknesses of some can be corrected by others.

I think there is a beautiful truth in this, you will gain strength and bravery through mass action. But there is dimension here many are ignoring. What if the OP is actually scared of not the violence of a revolution on a literal or direct level, but the mass social violence of a revolution, in the sense of change in totality? What if the process of revolution, one that really shakes the foundations of capitalism, the process of communism is what really frightens the OP, not some sort of fear of a molotov cocktail hitting him? For a proletarian this is not a problem, as achieving class consciousness is not as difficult. But for a member of the bourgeois class, an intellectual, it is hard. This is why it is important to struggle with bourgeois ideology, and the first step in this is not to directly impose proletarian ideology on yourself (impossible) but to, through Materialism, understand the function of ideology itself and do away with it. I do not genuinely think children are of the same class interest as their parents, though, this is all too simplistic. Children (or growing teens) do not belong to any class, they have to be coerced into one.

[Luís Henrique]

Actualy, many (portuguese) people I know are sympathetic to it. Many beleive it is the only way out of the crisis.

I am sympathetic to revolution, and I think it is the only way out of the crisis. I am scared of it, and I would say, beware of people who aren't.

Think of it like of a surgery. Necessary, not fun.

Luís Henrique

[cyu]

I am scared of it, and I would say, beware of people who aren't.


Perhaps those who are not afraid of revolution are willing to do more extreme things - however, this may be more a reflection of their situation than any innate psychosis.

For example, if I bust unions for a living, obviously I would be afraid of revolution. If I were comfortably middle class living in a decent suburb, I may be afraid of losing what I currently have in a revolution. If my mother were about to die of cancer because her insurance company claims she's not covered and they'd rather see us in court than pay for her treatment, I may not be so afraid of revolution anymore.