Is there a name for this?

Well, I think that society has painted the picture wrong. perhaps the person isn’t anxious or timid at all and only feels as though they are, are told that what they feel are the symptom of those things, and that they are those things all the time because of those symptoms. You would grow thinking yourself to be cowardly when you’re not and view courage to be a disease, you would have a completely different value system in terms of terms applied and perception, but I don’t believe there is an actual word for that. It’s not the first psychological phenomenon that I’ve seen that’s been ‘uncharted’.

OK, but let’s assume for the purposes of the hypothetical scenario that the person is anxious and timid so we can home in on the nature of the psychological self-deception. It’s a bit like the thing Nietzsche said about the self-despiser nevertheless esteeming himself as a self-despiser, except here the timid person isn’t so much esteeming himself/herself as something or other as holding in contempt the very concept of courageousness, and those who are duped by it.

I instantly thought of this little guy from Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Richard Bach)…

“Come along then.” said Jonathan. “Climb with me away from the ground, and we’ll begin.”
“You don’t understand My wing. I can’t move my wing.”
Maynard Gull, you have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way.It is the Law of the Great Gull, the Law that Is.”
“Are you saying I can fly?”
“I say you are free.”

I would call it being “STUCK”.
Psychological inertia since you asked for a psychological phenomenon.

But simply STUCK works.

A Hobbit.

a commitment to a third option where given a false choice

It seems like the kind of scenario one would come up with exactly for the purpose of illustrating ressentiment. So I think you do already have an apt name for it. I don’t think there’s any other word nearly so tailored for the example you gave. Broadly speaking, I would call it denial. What are you going for with this?

I’d call this at obedience meets sex

at avoidance

This is closer than it looks at first blush. They are the most fearless race in LOTR but consider themselves cowardly

Cowardice, hypocrisy, depravity… evil.

LOL and exactly right!

Seriously, I’m uncertain what the OP means exactly. Are we talking about denigrating people who gratuitously engage in dangerous activities, like skydiving. mountain climbing, etc., or any sort of courage such as running into a burning building to try to save a person? I can understand the former sentiment and wouldn’t necessarily characterize such a person as just being jealous. Regarding the latter sort of courage, then I would simply say the coward was jealous of courageous people. Therefore: “jealousy.” I could have respect for a cowardly person who admires courageous people as we are all not blessed with the same degree of intestinal fortitude, after all. One shouldn’t denigrate one’s self for that. One should try to face danger as bravely as one can and not beat one’s self up internally for lapses bred from his or her human nature over which one has limited or no control.

How about self-deception? Telling yourself lies in order to protect yourself from your emotional reactions to reality.

Very astute perception!

Everybody lies and the first person they do that to is themselves, no one is above self-deception.

want to bet?

No, I don’t care to win. I don’t need you to prove my point for it stands regardless.

No it doesn’t, and it’s not about winning. It’s about the fact that you carelessly tossed out, yet again, something that is not true and does not apply to everyone. Some are victims of others deceptions and thus not their own. Those ones would never self deceive, never would fall for it and always seek the truth of themselves and others. They would not idly sit back and accept even the deceptions of others.

But, I understand that you are limited your own perception and perspective and the lies of your people.

I’m relieved that you understand my shortcomings.

Maybe one could call him a milksop.

But would one necessarily regard courage in a negative light so much as he/she might think of courage as something unattainable unless that is what you meant by a negative light? But I don’t think they are the same.
One might think: “Why bother? It will never be me anyway.” Not so much ressentiment but hopelessness and laziness. :-k

Well, when you understand what hems you up in a moment before bouncing back, you tend to understand the shortcomings of others a lot more easily. :wink:

Some Guy in History

Does it only take a moment before the hemming and the bouncing back? I mean only a moment betwixt and between?

It is a process, wouldn’t you say, but perhaps each time we cut the strings so to speak, it gets easier.

.

I agree with this. You have walked a mile in another’s moccasins. Understanding.

I can’t believe that you actually :wink: ed
Kudos to you. :evilfun: