I once assumed intelligence made a person harder to frighten. It only makes fear louder.
A clever mind can build a respectable case for silence. It can rename retreat as strategy, obedience as maturity, and self-preservation as wisdom.
By the time it is finished, cowardice in the footnotes.
Courage does not come polished.
It sees the cost clearly and moves anyway.
A sharp mind can explain almost anything — including why not to take a risk.
Many people can read a room.
The rare person refuses to borrow its silence.