Explanation accepted.
There is, IMO, a distinction in your accusations of a lack of "diligence," which could be due to any number of causes....... time, priorities, values, etc., and your accusation of a lack of "courage," which is a smear about character.
At any rate, I appreciate knowing that you weren't specifically calling me out for being a coward.
I am not.
Agreed about any number of causes of such.
I doubt anyone hereon is a coward, per se.
Doesn't mean we are all thoroughly brave about facing all the things wise to face.
I still balk about it being a 'smear about character.'
I suppose technically, it's plausibly so.
But if I'm going to attack someone's character, I think of labeling them like I label Shrillery--vile, evil, corrupt to the core, demonized, willfully mean, vengeful . . . a pathological liar etc.
Other stuff--nuances, shadings, levels of common human characteristics I tend to not think of as smearing character even if somewhat severe and intense.
Yes, I can see that such are character-logical traits--and that therefore commenting negatively on traits of character can be seen as smearing character.
But, to me, it's more along the line of saying she has a black dress on and black is not my favorite color.
Or, she's wearing a perfume that attracts mosquitoes and I don't do well around mosquitoes.
Or, his after shave is attracting flies and I wonder if he is aware of that, at all.