Courage is often lack of insight, whereas cowardice in many cases is based on good information.

Ustinov’s aphorism punctures the romantic idea that courage is always a clear-eyed moral triumph and cowardice always a shameful failure. He suggests that what looks like bravery may sometimes be mere ignorance of risks—acting boldly because one does not fully understand the danger or consequences. Conversely, what is condemned as cowardice can be a rational response grounded in accurate knowledge: informed awareness of likely harm, futility, or unintended outcomes. The line plays on the tension between impulse and information, implying that moral judgments about “brave” and “cowardly” behavior should account for what the person actually knew at the time. It also hints at Ustinov’s characteristic wit: a paradox that forces reconsideration of easy heroism.