Dumbledore, coward? (was Re: Sirius and Snape parallels again

[jkoney65]

No: HPFGUIDX 185144

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, juli17 at ... wrote:
>
>  
> jkoney wrote:
> 
> Dumbledore a coward? How so? He came charging into the MoM and  
> captured the DE's. He went after Harry and faced Voldemort in a 
duel,  
> knowing he couldn't destroy Voldemort and win the war. As a leader 
he  
> organized a resistance to Voldemort, when he knew the ministry was  
> incapable of stopping him. He faced his own mortality quite well,  
> asking Snape to kill him to further the plans for defeating  
Voldemort
> 
> 
> Julie:
> There are other kinds of cowardice/bravery outside the physical. 
One  can
> be brave and daring in the face of physical danger, willing to risk 
life  and 
> limb to protect what one believes in, yet still be an emotional  
coward. 
> Dumbledore admitted as much about himself; after the loss of his  
sister
> he avoided emotional intimacy, avoided caring too  deeply about 
anyone, 
> until Harry. He preferred to remain a distant, benevolent presence 
to  his
> students and his professors, to keep his own counsel. I think it  
wasn't
> only to spare others the burden, but to protect himself. Which 
isn't all 
> that unusual. For many people it takes more courage to risk their  
hearts
> than their limbs, or at least just as much courage ;-)
>  
>  
> Julie

jkoney
I think we using different definitions of coward.

>From the online dicitionary:
a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, 
pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.

>From the American Heritage dictionary.
 One who shows ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain. 

The history of the word shows that it comes from "turns tail"

To me it refers only to physical bravery. I don't see how it can be 
used in relation to emotions. If you want to say that Dumbledore was 
emotionally limited I could agree to that. 

Otherwise it seems to me that we are stretching the word coward to 
apply to things that it doesn't really describe. I don't eat mustard, 
does that make me a condiment coward?

JMO
jkoney