Fools or heroes...

I felt like dropping a few lines after watching the movie "Motorcycle Diaries" about Ernesto "che" Guevara's eye opening trip through South America. Coincidentally I am currently reading "the apology of Socrates" by Plato... which made me think again of a hot topic that concerned me for a long time, and still does: a man’s mission in life…

Both men, El Che and Socrates are charismatic symbols from different times who gave up their lives and personal pleasures to create a better place for humankind.

Socrates lived in poverty all his life, didn’t care about gratifications or rewards, spent his days talking to people and educating his followers for free; while other supposed wise men were asking for a lot to educate rich young men.

El Che, a young Argentinian doctor wanted a free South America, united and classless. He joined the Cuban revolution that took the power over Batista, the pro American president.

Two different ways, same objectives. What is sure is that both sacrificed their lives till the end for others…

Socrates always stood for his beliefs, justice and virtues, saying he was guided by a divine voice that assigned him this mission of educating people and teaching them the virtues. He believed that changing individuals one by one would create a better society.

Socrates was convicted for introducing strange gods and corrupting the youth, and was sentenced to death by drinking poison. He could escape death by admitting his crime and declaring redemption or, as suggested by his friends, by corrupting the guards and escaping from the city.

He didn’t want to break the city rules he believed in, so he chose to respect his beliefs till the end and accept death with honour.

El Che was a figure of the revolution along with Fidel Castro. He obtained a ministry and a high rank in the government… but as soon as he felt that his ideals were not the priority anymore, he took off to face other challenges and spread la revolución somewhere else.

He went to Congo to organize the revolution there and then to Bolivia where he was trapped and killed.
Both men paid their lives for the good of others… are they fools, or are they heroes!? They could accept reality and the status-quo and live…

Then comes this question to my mind:

Should we live like fools and die as heroes, or live like happy fools and die as fools…