Comments on: Rethinking: Fools and Mad Men

By: Anoma Damle

Anoma Damle — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:56:57 +0000

a ten on ten awesome article…..!
regards anoma

By: Christian Sciberras

Christian Sciberras — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:58:25 +0000

I disagree with half of this post: Fools and mad men are not the same.

Your definition of “fool” (and even more “mad man”) is altered by social thought. The real definition of fool is not a person who is perceived as mad or strange, but someone knowingly making fun of himself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fool

You mention a lot of names, which I’m sure at their time (and even now) they were seen as mad or strange. This does not make them fools.

Myself, being a very difficult person to comprehend, find it insulting to be called “fool”. Again, people calling men “fools” doesn’t make them any, and DOES NOT alter the meaning of fool.

Personally, I might be seen as strange, difficult or with a weird personality, however, by far I’m not a fool.

I find it ridiculous and ironic to see a post criticizing society, yet agreeing with it’s many flaws at the same time.

The “fools” you have referred to are not fools, merely people calling them as such. I actually think you owe us an apology.

Best regards,
Christian V. Sciberras.

By: Harinder pal Singh

Harinder pal Singh — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:39:10 +0000

Very well said ! everyone in this universe have been sent with some unique qualities and strengths.We tend to ignore or overlook because of our false egos and attitude . I would rather be a fan of fools if above mentioned great people falls in that category !!!

By: Payal

Payal — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:26:05 +0000

Very well put! Fools and foolishness are defined by society, anyone who strays from what is ‘normal’ (but what really *is* normal?) is labeled mad or foolish. However, there is a difference between ‘mad’ and ‘foolish’–while neither follow the usual method of logic and reasoning, being ‘mad’ is a psychological state which the agent often has little or no control over. Being a fool is someone who chooses to ignore the logic and reasoning. Most of the great minds bordered on the edge of mental illness, but were no fools…they can be very logical, and adhere to too much detail.

It is the divide between how people use logic and reasoning, if at all, are labeled in society. Those who use it are ‘normal’ and may be ‘mad’, but those who don’t are the ‘fools.’ As you point out, it is the latter group that turn out to be the risk takers and the ones who enable society to advance by leaps and bounds…because, at some point, logic and reason will not get us anywhere.