Courage + Foolishness.. Difference?

[joe-paradise]

It's not the consequences, lots of brave people die or get seriously injured everyday.
It's not the probability of success, a single man who stands up against a million for what he believes is a brave hero.
So what it is?
i'm thinking the goal behind it and/or the ultimate contribution after the act, but some brave people have not achieved anything and have given their lives in vain.

[BananaBreadMuffin]

It's the fact that they're alone. If 20,000 people stood against the tanks in Tiananmen Square, it wouldn't have been nearly so special.

[joe-paradise]

so people can't be brave in a group?
and single people are always brave, not foolisH?

[Shaun]

foolishness is doing something with no point.
bravery is doing something to accomplish something with no regard for yourself..
or soemthing..
being brave or foolish are both pretty silly..
SAVE YOURSELF!

[joe-paradise]

but everything you do drastic enough has a point, even if it is only a point to you.

so it's brave if people agree with you? ;P

[Silent-G]

At 4/2/06 09:33 PM, BananaBreadMuffin wrote: It's the fact that they're alone. If 20,000 people stood against the tanks in Tiananmen Square, it wouldn't have been nearly so special.

I've gotta admit, if I saw 20,000 people standing in front of tanks, I think I'd join them even if I didnt know wtf we were doing. So I think that's true. But then of course if someone is brave enough to start something they usually acquire followers trying to achieve the same idea or goal, and then you end up with a bunch of regular old people. But no matter how little bravery they have to stand up against something, I believe its still affective.
btw, why are we talking about this?

[joe-paradise]

cause it's an interesting thing to talk about.

and also because i needed to say something not like" OMG KING KONG SUCKED" on my first posts so i wouldn't automatically be disregarded as a fool with nothing good to say.

[IamG0D]

Standing in front of a tank isn't the best idea, unless you got some guns (like granades or rocketlauncers) if i saw tha i would just go "fuck it i'm gone" and i would be the one that's alive

[tigerkitty]

At 4/2/06 09:37 PM, joe_paradise wrote: but everything you do drastic enough has a point, even if it is only a point to you.

so it's brave if people agree with you? ;P

It may be a respective point. What is brave to someone might be utter foolishness to another.

[BananaBreadMuffin]

At 4/2/06 09:34 PM, joe_paradise wrote: so people can't be brave in a group?

I didn't say that, what I meant is that you are not recognised individually for heroic group acts, rather the entire group is recognised.

and single people are always brave, not foolisH?

You can be both brave and foolish.

[LinkSilvermane]

Courage is facing your fears.

Foolishness is having none.

[BananaBreadMuffin]

At 4/2/06 11:26 PM, LinkSssilvermane wrote: Courage is facing your fears.

Foolishness is having none.

Are unborn babies foolish?

ohsnapparadoxyiesk

[Frannath]

LinkSssilvermane nailed the distinction. Bravery is acknowleging your fears but doing what you feel needs to be done anyways. Foolishness is not realizing the tank can crush you or standing out there in front of the tanks just because "everybody else is doing it." Course most those people probally thought that the tanks would stop before actually rolling over everyone. So was it bravery or foolishness? The poeple who could tell us are dead so we proablly will never know. Most likely a bit of both.

[F-R-C]

two examples are:
someone who fights the odds and actually has a chance.

someone who faces their own fears is courageous.

someone who would risk their life for a cause is courageous.

foolhardiness however, is someone who fights, but knows he stands no chance what so ever, and yet still continues to do so.

foolhardiness is trying to take down parliament..... look at where that got Guy Fawkes...

just remember however, that courage and foolishness mean different things to everyone.

(none of the above are fact, except that last part)

[LinkSilvermane]

At 4/3/06 10:57 AM, Frannath wrote: LinkSssilvermane nailed the distinction. Bravery is acknowleging your fears but doing what you feel needs to be done anyways. Foolishness is not realizing the tank can crush you or standing out there in front of the tanks just because "everybody else is doing it." Course most those people probally thought that the tanks would stop before actually rolling over everyone. So was it bravery or foolishness? The poeple who could tell us are dead so we proablly will never know. Most likely a bit of both.

Basically what I thought...it's what loads of Greek philosophers discussed amongst themselves about. Eventually, Aristotle came up with this:

If you run into an impossible battle to win, realise that you're going to die if you fight, and still fight on for the sake of your homeland and your family, then you're without a doubt a brave man.

If, instead, you face the same odds convincing yourself that you'll somehow manage to survive even if you run in the front lines with your sword drawn and screaming at the top of your lungs, you're an absolute fool.

[Cajunspirit]

At 4/2/06 09:33 PM, BananaBreadMuffin wrote: It's the fact that they're alone. If 20,000 people stood against the tanks in Tiananmen Square, it wouldn't have been nearly so special.

Bruuuutal >:)

[Frannath]

At 4/3/06 12:18 PM, LinkSssilvermane wrote: If you run into an impossible battle to win, realise that you're going to die if you fight, and still fight on for the sake of your homeland and your family, then you're without a doubt a brave man.

If, instead, you face the same odds convincing yourself that you'll somehow manage to survive even if you run in the front lines with your sword drawn and screaming at the top of your lungs, you're an absolute fool.

I think I need to start reading Aristotle. I like his sense of humor. It definantly gets the point across.