My point of view has changed recently, I think, and I figured this might be a fine topic to discuss
Running away – to some, it seems inherently cowardly. Why would it be such a bad thing to avoid a battle?
Some people think that hiding in the shadows and attacking from stealth is cowardly. But is it? Stealth takes skill, and it often carries significant risks if failed. People who are skilled in stealth tend to take particular advantage of the weaknesses of the opponent(s), but they are often at a disadvantage in open combat. Some warrior types seem to think that if you don’t fight them by trying to bash through their armor, then you’re a coward
Poison – applying poison to a weapon in battle doesn’t seem cowardly at all to me under most circumstances. One exception is in a duel where it is secretly applied. It is a significantly different scenario when poison is applied to something consumable in secret, though that still carries risks and I’m not sure what to make of it
Attacking from a distance – let’s compare distance to armor. Some people use armor to protect themselves. Other people use distance. Kind of a trade-off, isn’t it? But what if the person who uses distance also uses armor? If you wear armor, you’re generally slower, so you can create less distance to protect yourself. Again, a trade-off
Drones – Killing people with machines that you control remotely from a significant distance is, in my opinion, significantly cowardly. It’s different, however, if you control your machines from the battlefield or close by
The nuclear bombing of the Japanese cities is, to me, one of the most dishonorable things ever done in the history of human war. Was it cowardly, however, or just dishonorable and despicable?
These were just examples. Is any fighting style inherently cowardly, or is there something else that defines cowardice? Maybe a certain style coupled with a certain something else?
