The most badass person in the world? I submit: Alex Honnold

[derspiess]

In my mind a true badass gets The Medal of Honor, many times posthumously for said action that earned them the medal.

You can only earn it once

[crazy canuck]

As I think about it, if you want a badass climber I give you - Stanley Waters.

In WWII he was a member of the "Devil's Brigade" - an American-Canadian special forces commando unit.  A company under his command used climbing ropes to climb the cliffs of Monte La Difense at near Montecassino.  He was involved in some heroics at Anzio for which he received a Silver Star.  My recollection was also (but I can't find confirmation) was that he was the first allied soldier in Rome.

After the war he stayed in the Canadian Army, eventually reaching the rank of Lt General and becoming commander of Mobile Command.

And upon retirement, because he hadn't done enough in his life yet, he became Canada's first elected senator.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=RAtfybsdp4sC&lpg=PA237&ots=81VW4mMuaF&dq=gen.%20stan%20waters%20anzio&pg=PA237#v=onepage&q=gen.%20stan%20waters%20anzio&f=false

Of course WWII generated tons of "badasses", so it'd be hard to say Stan Waters was the biggest of them all, but his name deserves to be in the discussion.

And of course for climbing bad-assedness, climbing cliffs in order to fight the nazis beats anything else.

Yeah, I think Waters goes in the undisputed badass categorie.

[lustindarkness]

In my mind a true badass gets The Medal of Honor, many times posthumously for said action that earned them the medal.

You can only earn it once

LOL, but incorrect.

[Admiral Yi]

I agree until the point about driving a race car--the death rate among drivers is quite low. I think it is significantly higher for Honnold.

[alfred russel]

I agree until the point about driving a race car--the death rate among drivers is quite low. I think it is significantly higher for Honnold.

I meant the people that do the stuff Honnold does. 

[sbr]

I agree until the point about driving a race car--the death rate among drivers is quite low. I think it is significantly higher for Honnold.

[CountDeMoney]

You know what's really badass?  Helping those in need.

[Eddie Teach]

It's too bad he fought for the wrong side, because von Lettow-Vorbeck was probably one of history's greatest badasses also.

I'd say the same thing about Cortes and Pizzarro.

As awful as the Spanish may have been, they're saints compared to the Aztecs.

[Jacob]

As awful as the Spanish may have been, they're saints compared to the Aztecs.

At least according to Spanish accounts?

[CountDeMoney]

As awful as the Spanish may have been, they're saints compared to the Aztecs.

At least according to Spanish accounts?

No, Mel Gibson's accounts.

[DGuller]

Same thing here - if you are climbing up something, and you know that that next hold is a tough grab, and you have a 20% chance of missing it, you might take that chance with safety equipment...and then the safety equipment might just fail.

If you know that you have no safety equipment, there is a 0% chance of you taking the risk. Or rather, anyone dumb enough to take the risk will only do so about 5 times at best before they are an ex-solo climber.

It's possible to do it more than 5 times.

[Monoriu]

A badass is someone who makes a ton of money.

[Eddie Teach]

At least according to Spanish accounts?

[Tonitrus]

There are just so many factors out of his control that if they go wrong - he's dead.

Sorry - I just can't call "stupid" being a badass.

   (BB, apparently, on the right)

[Valmy]

As awful as the Spanish may have been, they're saints compared to the Aztecs.

At least according to Spanish accounts?

Are you seriously suggesting that now, in 2014, the entirety of research on the Aztec Empire has been the reading of Spanish accounts?