A friend pointed out that badasses generally project some sort of intimidation, some threatening force. Although having tremendous will power is critical, not all people with indomitable will are necessarily badasses. Gandhi is a good example.
That being said, I don't think that badasses need to walk around always looking badass. Just because you're bulked up, tattooed, wearing leather and chains, and have a constant scowl on your face, does not make you badass. It just makes you appear badass.
To more clearly draw important distinctions, let's begin with four logical combinations between being badass and looking badass:
1. You aren't badass, but you look badass. These people are the worst of the lot. Posers.
2. You aren't badass, and you don't look badass. This represents the majority of people out there.
3. You are badass, and you look badass. Good for you, you're badass!
4. You are badass, but you don't look badass. I call this guy the unassuming, stealth badass.
Since we're talking about true badasses, we can just straight out eliminate #1 and #2. Now, when I am faced with the choice between #3 and #4, my favorite by far is the stealth badass.
There's one great story I'd like to share that illustrates the unassuming, stealth badass beautifully, and it's drawn from Eiji Yoshikawa's novel on Miyamoto Musashi. I will share that story next time, and then we can head to the action plan.
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