True
My Earnings
NEW
Rankings
Feed
Sessions
Spaces
Post insight
About
Sponsor a Session
FAQs
Contact
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Login
Create account
Rankings
Sessions
Spaces
About
Contact
FAQs
Terms of Use
Login
Create account
809;
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
1147
15895
167
56
In
Literature, Writing and Blogging
•
3 min read
•
May 29, 2024 08:47a.m.
THE CASE OF MENTAL COWARDICE
<p>It's often thought that brave men are brave because they have no fear or doubts. In reality, brave men are brave because they push past their fears and overcome the doubts in their heads.</p><p><br></p><p>Bravery is an exceptional quality any human being can possess, it's what propels us to break barriers and achieve what might naturally seem impossible. Because it is that amazing, it doesn't come easily. I am of the opinion that we are not born brave, rather we learn to be brave. And as every other thing learned or groomed, there are a lot of challenges associated with the process.</p><p><br></p><p>Fear is a primordial emotion in human beings - a sort of protective instinct if you will. However, it can be limiting as it is protective. This is where bravery comes in. We don't always need protection as our instincts make us to believe. There comes a time in a man's life where he needs to take up the challenge before him irrespective of the risk involved. It's how we grow, develop, and expand. Another misconception that people have is that bravery can only be expressed physically or in the case of external conflict. Which is why it might sound odd to some people if I say an individual can be physically brave but a coward mentally.</p><p><br></p><p>It is this mental cowardice that I have decided to explore today. Mental cowardice manifests in different areas - in personal relationships, romantic involvements, and career ambitions. Have you ever been assigned a duty and your first instinct is to turn in down? Probably because you are scared you wouldn't be able to deliver... Sucks right? There is no need to feel ashamed if you have, you should only feel bad if you succumbed to those thoughts.</p><p><br></p><p>I will tell you for free that as a creative, those urges are common. The first time I had a booking for a wedding shoot, I felt like passing up the opportunity. Even though I had passed up some other opportunities, I'm glad I didn't. Lately, I got a commission to write a script in an aspect of media I have never written for. While the representatives of the company were breaking down the brief, I did feel a bit overwhelmed, and a small part of me wanted to run. Thankfully I was brave and shook away the intrusive thoughts - hopefully I create something that you all will love.</p><p><br></p><p>Quite a number of people have remained stagnant in their industries, when they clearly should be operating at a higher level. Mental cowardice inhibits innovation - a persistent problem in Nigeria. If there's something I admire about those from other continents, it is the willingness to take risks and break new grounds (with meticulous planning and execution of course). Whereas most Africans are generally okay at the basic level, succumbing to their fears stopping them from grabbing the brass ring.</p><p><br></p><p>What's all of these about? To tell you that it is perfectly normal for fear to creep in. Seriously, you cannot eradicate it. Being brave doesn't mean you do not have doubts or apprehension or even the urge to do nothing. Being brave is you doing what you need to do in the face of all of those things. In romantic relationships, there are moments where making commitments appears scary. In those moments you might want to opt out of the relationship. Mental cowardice is you doing that for a phantom gratification.</p><p><br></p><p>You might wonder how do we learn to be brave. The only answer I have for that is having a strong sense of conviction towards a specific thing, person or goal.</p>
More insights from
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
For My Woke Brothers
In
Africa
The death of the Queen of England, is no more breaking news. It's b...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
Peter Vs Seun : A Worrying Case Of Intolerance
In
Literature, Writing and Blogging
Last week, we experienced the social media brawl between Seun Kuti ...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
Kids Know Better
In
Literature, Writing and Blogging
I'm of the weird believe that we were born with the knowledge of wh...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
For The Love Of Obi
In
Politics
Let's talk about the man of the moment, in Nigeria. None other than...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
The Past And Present Conundrum
In
Literature, Writing and Blogging
I was speaking with a friend on a WhatsApp call, couple of weeks ba...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
Pursuit Of (Un)Happiness
In
People and Society
The need and pursuit for happiness is what too many people feel is ...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
The Concept Of Grace
In
Religion
For those who are familiar with the teachings of the Bible, or the ...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
Money And (Un)Happinness
In
Literature, Writing and Blogging
Do you believe that money is the ultimate source of happiness? I kn...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
The Miseducation Of The African Woman
In
History and Culture
The effects of reconstructive history can be so bad that it affects...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Lagos, Nigeria
New Year Resolutions
In
Literature, Writing and Blogging
Happy new year!! May we all have a great 2023 filled with success, ...
1
27
1
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
is the most viewed writer in
Literature, Writing and Blogging.
follow
Hi, it's Jefferson, thanks for reading my insights.
I'm a creative screenwriter, photographer, cinematographer and creative director. You can check out some of my works here
https://instagram.com/themi...
Insights for you.
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
In Literature, Writing and Blogging
A little about the Nkwerre people
Nkwerre is one of the local governments in Imo State, Nigeria. It is a small town of about 80,000 people (according to the 2006 national population...
548 views
2 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
In Africa
CONCEDING SUPREMACY - THE OWN GOAL PHENOMENON
An African man would never agree to the notion that the whites are superior to us. The strange thing however, is that their actions suggest otherwi...
427 views
2 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
In Politics
THE LUXURY OF THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE
One of the accusations levelled on those who sell their votes is that; they are selling their future or throwing it away. And the frustrations we f...
386 views
2 upvotes
1 comment
Joshua Omoijiade
Senior Designer @ Studio Contra
Lagos, Nigeria
In Literature, Writing and Blogging
Finding meaning with anything anywhere all at once
Once, in the Northern part of France, in the Parisian Cafes on the left bank, a diminutive son of a sailor named Jean Paul Satre was playing his pa...
378 views
3 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
In People and Society
RESPECT IS NOT EARNED, IT IS LOST
That doesn't make sense you may think. But stick around, and let me explain. People say 'you have to earn my respect'. I disagree with that. To ...
362 views
1 upvote
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
In People and Society
PRISONER IN EUROPE OR FREE MAN IN NIGERIA?
The Nairaland platform is an interesting one. I like to think of it as our own (Nigeria) Twitter. It's a more accurate representation of how real N...
359 views
2 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
In People and Society
Social media (in)tolerance?
I would like to believe that social media was created to bolster and improve communication and interaction amongst ourselves. And part of communica...
357 views
1 upvote
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
In People and Society
WHAT HAPPENED TO ROMANCE
True romance is dead. Cause of death? A lot of factors, and I cannot run through all of them at this time. We are meant to be a more advanced ge...
352 views
1 upvote
1 comment
Esther Omemu
Design Associate @ Hera Marketing
Lagos, Nigeria
In Literature, Writing and Blogging
A Murderously Funny Guide to Writing About Serial Killers...
I can already imagine you wondering, why on earth is this even important. Oh well, you’ll find out why very soon, that much I can assure you… but b...
344 views
4 upvotes
1 comment
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
Lagos, Nigeria
In Literature, Writing and Blogging
Peter vs Seun : A worrying case of intolerance
Last week, we experienced the social media brawl between Seun Kuti and Peter Okoye (one half of music group; psquare). A very short recap; the figh...
344 views
2 upvotes
0 comments
×
Comments
Share thread
Refresh
×
cancel
What is TwoCents?
×
×
Share the feed
×
Copy link
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Whatsapp
Share this post
×
Copy link
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Whatsapp
×
Insights
Views
Upvotes
Comments
Contributor score
Share this post
×
Copy link
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Whatsapp
Share this post
×
Copy link
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Whatsapp
Crop photo.
If "Crop" and "Cancel" buttons are not visible, scroll down.
×
The photo you are trying to upload is too large.
Please upload a photo smaller than 4MB.
×
The file you are trying to upload is not an image.
Please upload an image of the following types - PNG, JPEG, JPG, GIF, BMP
×
For best results, be as descriptive as possible. Please refrain from using explicit, obscene or hateful words.
Hyper-realistic
Turning on "Hyper-realistic" will generate hyper-real and dramatic images. Leaving it off will produce more natural, less hyper-real looking images.
Generate Image
Use Image
Clear Image
At least 800 characters. You can save your insight as a draft and it will update as you type.
×
Login to share insight
×
Oops!
Looks like
isn't setup to receive tips.
Be sure to check back later!
Close
×
Oops!
Looks like you have not setup your account to send and receieve tips.
No worries!
Click here to add your card details
Be sure to contact us if you have any questions!
×
Let
know you love
their content by sending a tip!
Show support.
Support beyond an upvote, comment or share.
Help grow TwoCents.
Encouraging other writers ensures quality insights.
Send Online
Copy tip link
Close