Bravery or stupidity at Work?

When does Bravery in one's work life become stupidity ? It seems to me that there is a world of difference between how Bravery is viewed in the corporate as opposed to the entrepreneurial world. I have worked with people who had to show physical as well as psychological bravery simply to take paid work in cultures where eg traditionally women are not expected to ... one woman telling me she was regularly verbally abused in the street for working , wearing trousers,driving a car, you name it . I have often in my own cozy yet cutthroat corporate career got myself into hot water by acts of intellectual independence, telling it like I saw it , as opposed to simply going with the party political line..no doubt harming my development prospects.Brave or stupid , bad team Player? I always felt I was being paid to think, to lead, and as such it was my duty to express my opinion,back it up with data and experience, and then execute to the best of my ability ,whichever way the decision went. Bravery at work can sometimes bring a lot of problems....take whistle blowers, those who shine a light on illegal ,dangerous or unethical behaviours ;one rarely reads about them being rewarded, generally it seems they actually seem to get punished somehow.... Conversely was I brave or stupid to take the chance of my first international posting , without any guaranteed parachute or way back ?A lot of good people are too cautious to risk this step , which for me was in many ways the most rewarding period of my career. I'd be equally amazed if I was the only person to have wrestled with staying or quitting a company without having the next move lined up..is it brave to go or Stupid? Similarly I have carried on pushing unpopular innovation projects in the face of apathy or negativity from higher up the decison making chain ; in a corporate context this is a short cut to failure ,irrespective of whether the idea itself was a potential winner.Bravery or stupidity? In a classic,corporate career context then maybe I have been naive or stupid,certainly not brave. Conversely if you are an entrepreneur or visionary then one of the overarching qualities you need to display is a willingness to be brave, to challenge conventional thinking head on, and keep on whatever the challenges that prevent you realising your vision. So, as we approach that time of year where some people will be hanging on,in jobs they don'the really love ,just for the year end bonus or the uncertainty of change in a difficult job market what advice can I Offer? Would I do different if I was starting out again? Your life , your career, your decision...