Coward by not asking Penny...

Coward with Charlie...

Is Desmond a coward?

Noooooooo! Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing in order for things to be right. People are going to call you a coward, but that's because they don't understand how brave you are...until they can see the good for themselves.

Scarficing your love for possibly the human race...how can that be cowardly?
Penny and Charlie don't know what's going on...."ignorance is bliss!"

Desmond rejected Penny IN HIS DREAM for the same reasons he pushed her away in the REAL past: he didn't feel "good enough" for her. Widmore had just reinforced Des' doubts about himself the day before. So he chickened out on giving the ring to Penny in the dream; as he chickened out of BUYING the ring in the REAL past.

It will be interesting to find out what he did to end up in military prison, too. Widmore calls him a coward because of it; Desmond (though not taking Widmore's bribe) seems to agree with that assessment. But was he REALLY a coward?

I don't think so. I think he's less a coward than a man of low self-esteem. He backs off of being proactive because he doesn't think he deserves anything good. He self-reinforces the low image of himself.

Considering his willingness to turn that failsafe key, it's clear that Desmond is no COWARD; he's just not someone giving himself a real chance. Not until he "proves" himself (joining the military, entering the boat race to win). And since he's never "proved" himself, he's never "taken the chances" he should've.

It was interesting to me, STH, that Des walked past the military recruitment station. Did he avoid going into the military in his "second past" because he knew the outcome (prison)??

How much is cowardice a product of our own feelings of inadequacy? I don't see Desmond as a coward but I believe he feels he is one which creates a kind of cycle, doesn't it?

That's a good point, YellowTang... self-fulfilling prophecies and so forth. (BTDT...)

I would guess that history will continue to repeat itself, and Des will be given chance after chance to make the right choices, until ultimately he will be the hero. Not only by pressing the button, as the old lady says is "the only truly great thing that you will ever do."
But I'd imagine that he'll be a military hero as well... The time in prison will be erased, and replaced with heroic events...

For now, he just isn't making the right choices for his life...

All Desmond knew about the key was that Kelvin said, "you use this and poof! this all goes away." So in theory I suppose you could argue that Desmond was actually being cowardly when he turned the key because he was more afraid of what would happen if he didn't, and hopeful that something safe would come out of turning it and "making it all go away." :undecide:

All Desmond knew about the key was that Kelvin said, "you use this and poof! this all goes away." So in theory I suppose you could argue that Desmond was actually being cowardly when he turned the key because he was more afraid of what would happen if he didn't, and hopeful that something safe would come out of turning it and "making it all go away." :undecide:

Nahh. I can't buy that as he had years to take the cowards route. It took Locke's choice to not push it for him to respond.

I don't think his choices make him a coward. I just don't.

I think that this is why "Make Your Own Kind of Music" has been a soundtrack in a couple of Desmond scenes. He likely isn't a coward, but believes he is. He feels an intense need to prove himself.

In Desmonds time warp not dream he ws not a coward when he didnt ask Penny. He accepted his destiny to do what will be noble. I think that his last not asking Penny was him not becoming a coward for the first time in his life.

desmond a coward?i think its used ironically in the show.the whole des is a coward thing..no doubt hes one of the few brave ones

Well since he risked his life to save everyone from the hatch I don't think he is a coward.

He has made cowardly choices in the past but only because he thought he was doing what was best.