Useless Hardihood
The man who courts danger, without any rational probability of benefiting himself or others by his hardihood, is not, in our opinion, many removes from a fool. When we see a ‘ Tiger Tamer ’ or a k Lion King ’ go into a den of wild beasts at the risk of his life, we set him down as a verj 7 shallow fellow, and the people who applaud his courage as only imperfectly civilised. To be sure, he braves the danger for the sake of money ; but then, he could earn a living without subjecting himself to the possibility of being torn to pieces, or win the admiration of men of higher calibre then the gaping crowd, who pay their quarters for the chance of seeing him devoured, by imperilling his safety in some enterprise for the public good. Curvetting over an abyss on a tightrope,, leaping from the mast of a vessel into the waves, going up in a balloon on a purposeless errand, shooting lions to astonish the Arabs, seem to us very useless exhibitions of heroism. A volunteer nurse in a pest- ! house is infinitely more of a hero than amy man who faces death for the sake of pelf or praise.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TAN18900409.2.50
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 461, 9 April 1890, Page 6
Word count
Tapeke kupu
205Useless Hardihood Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 461, 9 April 1890, Page 6
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in