Bad v/s BADASS: what's the difference?
What’s the difference between a Bad and a Badass person? Who’s a Badass person in the first place? Is being badass the same as being bad? And why are they called such? I did some research on this question that has been eating me up since a long time, and here are my findings:
Being Bad
Who is a bad person? Technically speaking, a bad person is someone who deliberately does one or all of these actions to you without considering your well being:
Attempts to deliberately cause you harm (emotional, physical or mental).
Attempts to malign your good name or reputation among others.
Deliberately goes out of his or her way to bring impediments on your journey to progress.
Discourages you from going towards your goal.
Aims to enforce his or her will upon you by force.
So, as you can see, the focus of a bad person is always on someone else. Bad people forcefully try to harm, change or manipulate others and seldom focus on improving themselves. Outwardly, they might seem strong and powerful, but in reality, they’re most often selfish, egoistical, mentally unstable and insecure people. Deep down, they have a deep seated hatred for themselves which manifests in the way they treat other people.
Why do people become bad?
Based on what I have seen, read, heard and experienced, badness is a trait that's acquired, not inherited. No one is born bad. Circumstances: internal or external or both, force a person to become so. Listed below are some causes which might influence negative traits in a person:
Experiencing certain trauma during childhood which hasn’t been addressed and still remains as a scar.
Constant vilification, abuse and criticism from loved ones, friends and relatives which leaves behind bitter feelings.
Lack of love and affection.
Constant comparisons to successful people leaving a feeling of inferiority.
Failures and rejections in life.
Influence from the wrong sources at a tender and gullible age.
For example, Adolf Hitler, that (in)famous Nazi Germany dictator, wasn’t born a fascist. Circumstances conspired to make him what he is mostly known for today. It was known that Hitler had an abusive father, lost his younger brother at a very tender age and lost his mother (whom he loved the most) when he was just eighteen years.
Image courtesy (Wikipedia)
It could be possible that his personal turmoil manifested in his behavior, attitude and also his studies. He performed poorly in school and did not have much career prospects to choose from after he completed studies. He was a reasonably good artist and badly wanted to pursue art in his youth, but was twice rejected from the University of Fine Arts in Vienna. He soon ran out of money and was forced to live in homeless centers and dormitories. It was also in Vienna that his anti-Semitic feelings were nurtured mainly due to the influences of populist politicians.
The turning point in his life however, came when he heard about Germany’s capitulation in the First World War. For all his shortcomings, Hitler was a fierce German patriot. He, like many other Germans at that time, fell prey to myths that his country, though undefeated in battle, was betrayed by traitors (mostly Jews) and forced to surrender. The humiliation of defeat, plus the unequal and discriminatory terms of the ‘Treaty of Versailles’ which Germany was forced to sign brought about a deep seated bitterness towards Jews and Communists, whom he believed were responsible for his country’s plight. This bitterness soon manifested itself into his political ideology which he used manipulate the masses and gain power. The rest of his story is well known.
All this, of course, does not exempt him from all his actions. But I want to show how hostile circumstances coupled with abuse and apathy can warp the strongest mind.
History is replete with many such examples of ‘Bad’ persons. Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Ivan the Terrible and many others come to mind.
Being Badass
Being ‘Badass’ is way different from being bad. Even though both terms sound similar to each other, there is an ocean width of difference between them.
Being ‘badass’ is all about attitude. It’s about how you, as a person, behave and respond to any challenge or circumstances. In other words, it’s all about YOU.
In many ways, badass is the exact complement of being bad. A bad person is always focused on others, while a badass person is focused entirely on himself / herself.
Now, when you think of someone as a badass, who flashes to your mind?
Maybe it was that bright spark in school, who wasn’t hesitant to take on the teachers to prove his point of view. It was maybe that little chit of a kid who bravely stood up to bullies twice his size. Maybe it was that bright dude who dropped out of college to pursue his dreams and made it big. Maybe it was that girl who defied her parents expectations to marry the person of her choice. Maybe it’s that woman who shuns societal norms and lives life as a single mother.
History has shown us some pretty badass characters too.
Dr. Subramanian Swamy
Speaking of badass characters, one very prominent and eminent person comes to mind. Dr. Subramanian Swamy, the outspoken Indian politician, economist and statesman is the very definition of badass. Dr. Swami does not hesitate to call a spade a spade, is not afraid to take one anyone whom he feels is wrong, no matter how powerful he/she/it may be and is not afraid to highlight glaring and important issues. His attitude is reflected in the tweets he regularly makes.
One story in his life highlights his badassery. During the seventies, Dr. Swami was a full time professor of Mathematical Economics at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi. He got into trouble with the ruling government when he openly criticized the economic policies of the Government. This open and frank criticism didn’t go well with the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Under government pressure, he was sacked from his post in December 1972. Undaunted, he went to the courts and filed a case against the institute for what he believed was an unjust termination of his employment. The case dragged on for eighteen long years until 1991, when he finally won the case and was reinstated to his previous position. So he joined IIT Delhi and guess what he did? The very next day, he submitted his resignation. That’s pretty badass. And what’s more, the supreme court also ordered IIT to pay up all his dues (with interest) for the entire duration of his unemployment.
Well and truly badass !!
(Late) Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
(Late) Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw is another badass person who comes to mind. Sam Manekshaw was an outstanding and highly decorated military person and a highly capable military leader who was never afraid to speak his mind. To him goes the credit of India’s stupendous victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war.
In March 1971, after West Pakistan initiated Operation Searchlight, terrified Bengali refugees started pouring into India’s eastern borders. Their numbers soon began to grow. This put immense strain on India’s economic resources. Despite all diplomatic efforts, Pakistan refused to relent and the genocide continued. Soon it became evident that a military solution was the only way this issue could be resolved. The Indian Prime Minister summoned Sam Manekshaw and asked him to go to war with Pakistan as early as possible. Sam Manekshaw refused an immediate military intervention on the grounds that the Indian army was not completely prepared for war at that point in time. He even gave valid points to support his reasoning. Any lesser man might have relented under pressure, but not Sam Manekshaw. He was adamant on his points, and was even ready to resign then and there if his opinion was not respected. Fortunately, Indira Gandhi saw sense in his reasoning and gave him carte blanche to prepare for the war on his terms. Sam Manekshaw asked for six months which he got. Ultimately, on the 16th of December 1971, the Pakistani forces surrendered to the Indian Army in Dhaka and the proud new nation of Bangladesh was born.
General A.A.K. Niazi of Pakistan's Eastern Command signing the 'Instrument of Surrender' at Dhaka, December 1971.
Just before the war commenced, Indira Gandhi asked Sam if he was ready for war with Pakistan.
I’m always ready, Sweetie.” was his badass reply.
Now, that is badass indeed!!
Operation Thunderbolt (Operation Entebbe)
Not just people, but groups, organizations and even entire nations can be badass too.
Israel, for me, has always been a badass nation. Given the circumstances under which it was formed and the trials and tribulations it had to go through, its badass attitude is the only reason why it still survives. If not, it would have been obliterated from world existence a long time back. As a nation, it has faced many challenges and hurdles during its event-filled existence till date. These challenges have brought out the best (or should I say, the worst?!!) in it. Here is one such challenge where it displayed its badassery to the core.
On the 27th of June 1976, Air France flight # 139 from Tel Aviv to Paris was hijacked mid air by Palestinian rebels belonging to the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). After a brief stopover at Benghazi, Libya the flight was finally diverted to its final destination: Entebbe, Uganda. There, the hijackers with the aid of the Ugandan military (under the umbrella of Idi Amin, that crazy despot) began segregating the Jews and the Non-Jews. The Non-Jewish passengers were released and allowed to return home, while the Jewish passengers were held hostage. The hijackers threatened the Israeli government that all the hostages would be executed unless their demands were not met (which included a huge ransom and release of Palestinian militants currently languishing in Israeli jails).
The Israeli government knew it had to act, and act fast. It knew that yielding to the demands would embolden terrorists to carry out other such acts in the future. On the surface, the government kept up negotiations, but behind the scenes they secretly planned, finalized and approved a plan for sending Israeli commandos to rescue the hostages. This plan was code named ‘Operation Thunderbolt’.
On 3rd July 1976, Israeli commandos landed secretly at Entebbe Airport. They stormed into the enclosure where the passengers were held hostage and released them, killing all the hijackers in the process. In the raid, one Israeli commando was killed and five were wounded. Three hostages were also killed in the fight. The rescued hostages were safely flown to Israel. All this happened right under the nose of the Ugandan army.
The operation was a resounding success and Israel sent a strong message to all terrorist groups that it would never yield to terrorist threats and blackmail.
That’s pretty badass per me!
Now coming back to our main argument, I believe the examples provided above might give some clear clarity on the difference between a bad and a badass person.
Here are some fundamental points of difference between a bad and a badass person summarized in a table:
To conclude: in these crooked and turbulent times, being a saint will get you nowhere. Don’t become bad, but be badass to survive the vagaries of the world.
Don’t get mad, get even!
Don’t be bad, be badass!
