> I'll grant you idealism but might that be a consequence of naivete and inexperience?
Very possible too. I'll add that young people have less to lose, or so in their mind. In contrast, a grown-up will have family, kids, and their own pride to take care of. Tons to lose.
As for history, I'm sure there were many counter examples. It's just that I couldn't think of any. The examples I had in mind were Aung San Suu Kyi, Wang Ching-wei, and Thabo Mbeki. Wang's story is particularly interesting. In his youth, he showed remarkable courage when he attempted to assassinate a Qing's royal prince, facing death with heroic resolve. Before his expected execution, he even composed a famous farewell poem. However, in his later years, he underwent a dramatic transformation, becoming a puppet leader for the Japanese invaders. He steadfastly maintained that Japan would emerge victorious and that China's resistance was futile.
