Brave or Stupid?
It has often been said that there is a very thin between bravery and stupidity. What is bravery and what separates it from stupidity? Do you have any personal examples which speak to your opinions?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Drew Garrison on -
We live in a world where the two are often blurred because of what modern movies portray as bravery. For example picking fights. A while ago I was in Athens, Greece with some Army guys during the vacation season for Greeks (August.) In August the population of Greeks in Athens is almost cut in half leaving druggies, prostitutes and other undesirables. Few bars were open and the ones that were were pretty dodgey. We were told of a club to go to in a crap part of town, Omonia. A neighborhood of Athens not worth checking out and everyone knew it. A few backpackers wanted to round everyone up to go but we voted not to. I will always remember how one of the truly brave servicemen put it, "that's just plain stupid." I believe that Bravery is not about proving something as much as it is about rising to the occasion when the circumstances call for it.
Too often bravery is shown as an over zealous attribute but it is not. Aristotle believed in all things moderate. Cowardice and being and over zealous monger are equally bad while the virtue of Bravery lies in the middle.
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Permalink Reply by Liam S. on -
Stupidity is doing what others fear either because you are lousy at calculating odds, don't consider consequences, or have something to prove.
Bravery is doing what you must, even if you fear it.
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Permalink Reply by Will on -
It's said that bravery isn't being without fear, but conquering it. Maybe stupidity is being without fear (when the danger is real).
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Permalink Reply by Cody Fulling on -
Bravery is a friday afternoon.
Stupidity... never tried it.
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Permalink Reply by Ray Daniels on -
A trip to the emergency room as the separator?
Having made that smartass remark, though, there is a folk singer from Florida, Gamble Rogers, who died trying to save a drowning man he'd never met. Rogers wasn't a particularly strong swimmer, but the other man's child came up to him in a panic asking for help (the park where they were camping and swimming had no lifeguards -- just "swim at your own risk" signs). It might not have been the smartest move to jump into a riptide not being a great swimmer himself, but it was brave to look at that kid and put himself into the other guy's shoes and make the effort.
http://www.gamblerogers.com/life/default.asp
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Permalink Reply by Jack Neulist on -
This might sound trite, but I'm being serious. The difference between bravery and stupidity is success.
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