It takes an ophidic coolness and very solid values to, in an extreme situation of imminent risk, reflect in an instant and make the right decision. Situations like these, where a man finds himself on the threshold between cowardice and courage, are often keys to a biography, and their effects last for as long as a life is extended. It is like the hunter who, with his rifle unloaded, is surprised by a hungry tiger: the shot imposes itself, and there is no avoiding it; the gaze fixed on the beast shows a false move to be death; and, with a racing heart, the man has to decide.
On the Threshold Between Cowardice and Courage
