day no. 15,073: know what I mean?

"Bold-hearted men are always called mean-spirited by cowards." — C.H. Spurgeon

The coward does not dare to say what he means unless he's saying the daring are "mean." The courageous dares to say what he means even when it means being called names.

Cowardice is not just content with niceness, it aims at it. It prefers milquetoast to the toaster. As a result, it considers meanness the deadliest vice and niceness the cardinal virtue.

But Christ did not command niceness, but kindness; He did not condemn being mean, but malice, clamor, slander, wrath, etc.. (Eph 4:31-32)

Boldness is not callous indifference, but it does develop callouses from counting the cost of being considered mean and paying the bill in cash.

To be bold will mean being considered mean by some.
To be kind will mean being considered unkind by many.

By the standard of niceness, boldness is mean.
By the standard of righteousness, boldness is a mean.