A coward is someone who lacks the courage or spirit to face difficulties or defend their beliefs. The Royal Spanish Academy identifies it with "pusillanimous," defined as someone who lacks the courage to confront dangerous or risky situations. Cowardice can take many forms and qualities, with examples ranging from those who don't dare to face an uncomfortable conversation, choosing to run away instead, to those who avoid confronting a family conflict, or who reveal a cruel "fear of feeling" for others; as Michel de Montaigne said, "cowardice is the mother of cruelty."