Why are people who are fighting a life threatening illness referred to as being 'brave'?

[dave50]

While not making light of it, surely it is the most basic human instinct to fight for life, I don't think bravery comes into it at all.

[mike11111]

On the same subject, and before anyone jumps down my throat I am a Forces veteran and extremely proud of it, why are those servicemen who have the misfortune to be killed in Afghanistan, usually by stepping on underground bombs, described as heroes?

[shaneystar2]

I must be really hard nosed .
My husband had a life threatiing illness .All I got from various people was ..oh you can fight this ..he must be brave and fight etc . The consultant was far more pragmatic ..and said ..operation or six foot under .
All I can say is my old man was extemely stoical about the whole thing .
People die from all sorts of things on a daily basis .Nobody is any braver than the next .
We all have to die from something .

[emmie]

Mike, perhaps for just being there, after all it's an unwinnable situation as you must know. So fighting a losing cause and perhaps losing lots of your mates along the way, knowing that if you make it and come home in one piece, no one is going to thank you

[Old_Geezer]

I'd guess, Mike, for putting themselves in the firing line. Appreciate other professions have fatalities too, and I'm unsure what the stats are for different occupations, but emotionally I think it is to do with this kill or be killed situation they volunteered for. I think the ones who didn't step on the mine are the same except they got lucky.

We all have to die from something, but some deaths are drawn out and need to be coped with, others are sudden fait accompli and so is a different situation to deal with.

[Bambiagain]

I'd go with Shaneystar's description and say that people who cope well with illness show stoicism rather than bravery - which I would tend to use in the case of someone who actually had a choice. I had a nasty accident years ago, followed by several operations, and people kept telling me I was very brave. I told them I was nothing of the sort, I just had to cope with it, because I truly believed then, and still believe that bravery hadn't got a thing to do with it. And I'm also not making light of what people go through with life-threatening illnesses.

[Robinia]

From my experience I never saw it as being brave, I was a mardy @rse sometimes...it was a case of one day at a time, step by step.

[vivandorron]

modeller..It does take an element of bravery to progress through old age and it is something of a terminal illness. I know, because I am in the category, and every day brings forth further problems; despite my thinking that, compared to others of my age, I am in fairly reasonable health.

Ron.

[hc4361]

Some people do 'turn their face to the wall' and give in. I have seen it happen more than once.

[shaneystar2]

Hahaaa.....Ron you don't need to brave to progress through old age ..You just need to be bolshie :)

[vivandorron]

Hi shaney...Long time no see....You really know me, don't you.!!

Ron ☺☺☺

[wildwood]

It is a fact that a positive attitude can help in such a situation, as opposed to someone who has a negative attitude and gives up.
Those who 'keep smiling' certainly make it easier on their loved ones. A 'moaner' can make their relatives suffer tremendously with a serious or terminal illnesses.

[woofgang]

Not sure I agree with you there wildwood.....loved ones will know when the keep smiling is a front and it's heartbreaking

[BlueToffee]

Modeller, isn't life a terminal illness?

[andy-hughes]

I entirely agree with mike 11111's point about soldiers being 'heroes' when in fact they are doing the job which they signed up for, knowing full well the risks involved.

I have a rather simplistic view of the armed forces - if you sign up and your job description is 'soldier' and people train you to fire live bullets at human-shaped targets, wouldn't it be naiive in the extreme to assume that you are going to fo that for the remainder of your service, rather than the strong likelyhood that you will be flown to a foeign country and expected to put those skills to use against real live strangers, with a more than reasonable chance that they will achieve their objective, which is to kill you first?

I have argued this at various times with AOG - and I also took issue with referring to professional soldiers as 'boys and girls' which seems to intend to give them some sort of loveable homely image.

I would suggest that trying to refer to a soldier serving in Afgahnistan as a 'boy' would achieve the same result as walking into a paratroopers' officers' mess and saying in a loud voice that you thought only fairies wore wings!

[keyplus90]

For this very simple reason.

http://www.theanswerb.../Question1161930.html

[naomi24]

Some people don't fight for life. When faced with a terminal illness, they just give up. Others do all they can to fight, and I've witnessed some incredibly brave battles.

Keyplus, I don't understand the point you're trying to make with that link. Would you mind elaborating?

[Lonnie]

I think by facing up to their illness, whatever it may be, and not wallowing in self pity, would, in my books, make them brave, not heroes, but brave.

mike11111, I agree with you, ok, I'm getting on now, but I served in Aden and NI, (three tours in the 60s and 70s).
In our Armed forces, every person nowadays is a volunteer, because they are then posted to an 'active service' arena, does not make them heroes.
Actions of individuals will possibly do that, but not just for being there.