Most overrated/underrated historical figure

Overrated:

Mozart. He was a prodigy, but compared to most other musical geniuses and esteemed composers in general he is far far from the top. Yet he is recognized as the best musician in the history of the world.

Underrated:

Rommel. Obviously people don't like him because he was a devout Nazi. But tactically speaking, man did the guy know how to win a fight! He was also recognized as being a quite humane commander, and was killed as a conspirator in the Hitler assassination attempt. Good guy overall imo.

Yet he is recognized as the best musician in the history of the world.p00zer

I actually prefer Martin Luther King Jr over Ghandi, because MLK was more colorblind than Ghandi was, which I agree with.

Overrated: Ronald Reagan/Margaret Thatcher

Underrated: Lyndon Johnson

Overrated: Napoleon. He won his fights because he was a dwarf, everybody knows he the first to go into combat knowing no one would think to look down :P. moose_knuckler

Napoleon was 5'6, I wouldn't call that short.

Overrated: Ronald Reagan/Margaret Thatcher

Underrated: Lyndon Johnson

Hot-Tamale

Overrated: Sigmund Freud

Underrated: Nikola Tesla

(musical history) Overrated: Beethoven

Underrated:Claude Debussy

(general war history) overrated: hitler (he wasn't that smart invading other places very arrogant)

Underrated:Lenin (stalin is famous for simply killing millions, lenin was smarter and started the bolshevik uprising/revolution)

However both all of them are still insane

Minamoto Yoritomo.

I mean, the guy pretty much invented the Samurai which would go on to rule Japan.

over rated- Obama/C. Columbus (tie)

under rated-? hard one

(musical history) Overrated: Beethoven

Underrated:Claude Debussy

(general war history) overrated: hitler (he wasn't that smart invading other places very arrogant)

Underrated:Lenin (stalin is famous for simply killing millions, lenin was smarter and started the bolshevik uprising/revolution)

However both all of them are still insane

drumbreak1

I actually prefer Martin Luther King Jr over Ghandi, because MLK was more colorblind than Ghandi was, which I agree with.

avatar_genius

I'm not too crazy about the whole 'colorblind' movement. I think you have to appreciate every manifestation that an individual has, everything from racial characteristics to a person's supposed 'quirks.' It's all part of appreciating life for me, and I'm simply stating that it doesn't compromise political correctness to see humanity as a vastly diverse wellspring of knowledge and community, instead of a homogenous group of individuals.

I feel MLK is overrated. Not in what he achieved, but how much we are taught in American schools about him. For example, every year I learn about him(for about 8 years straight) meanwhile, I havent learned squat about JFK, Abe Lincoln, George Washington!, and the World Wars. I know what MLK did was great and important, but with black history month, I feel in order to stress equality, they teach us about him every year. Underrated:Russia as a country. Many people dont realize Russia is still very formidable.bronxxbombers

under rated-? hard one

KDIDDY78

Overrated: Franklin Roosevelt

Underrated: Robert E. Lee

Why would anyone pick Winston Churchill? He was a total bigot.

Anyways my vote for underrated would go for Eratosthenes or Norman Borlaug.

(musical history) Overrated: Beethovendrumbreak1

[QUOTE="bronxxbombers"]I feel MLK is overrated. Not in what he achieved, but how much we are taught in American schools about him. For example, every year I learn about him(for about 8 years straight) meanwhile, I havent learned squat about JFK, Abe Lincoln, George Washington!, and the World Wars. I know what MLK did was great and important, but with black history month, I feel in order to stress equality, they teach us about him every year. Underrated:Russia as a country. Many people dont realize Russia is still very formidable.Pirate700

Overrated: Sigmund Freud

Underrated: Nikola Tesla

Fried_Shrimp

I agree with you on Tesla.

nah i was going to say hitler...i dont advocate his slughter of the jew...but the man did conquer have the world...mesmerized a entire country into his ideal utopia and even influenced modern arabia/persia...heck Iran name is derived from arian

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="bronxxbombers"]I feel MLK is overrated. Not in what he achieved, but how much we are taught in American schools about him. For example, every year I learn about him(for about 8 years straight) meanwhile, I havent learned squat about JFK, Abe Lincoln, George Washington!, and the World Wars. I know what MLK did was great and important, but with black history month, I feel in order to stress equality, they teach us about him every year. Underrated:Russia as a country. Many people dont realize Russia is still very formidable.bronxxbombers

[QUOTE="avatar_genius"]

I actually prefer Martin Luther King Jr over Ghandi, because MLK was more colorblind than Ghandi was, which I agree with.

Hot-Tamale

I'm not too crazy about the whole 'colorblind' movement. I think you have to appreciate every manifestation that an individual has, everything from racial characteristics to a person's supposed 'quirks.' It's all part of appreciating life for me, and I'm simply stating that it doesn't compromise political correctness to see humanity as a vastly diverse wellspring of knowledge and community, instead of a homogenous group of individuals.

I don't like being told what to think and do based on my skin color.

TC, I agree with you on Rommel. He was a good commander, but he's often overlooked because he was part of the German army. He especially was great in the North Africa campaign, he might have actually done a whole lot better if the Italians didn't suck as horribly as they did. :PLZ71

Overrated: John F. Kenedy, the only good thing he did is put man on the moon, and the cuban missle crisis could have been prevented.

Underrated: Richard Nixon, he got us out of vietnam, and he made the voting age 18, so before that you could get dratfted and not be able to vote for someone who wants to pull troops out.

How is Jesus overrated?

Overrated: John F. Kenedy, the only good thing he did is put man on the moon, and the cuban missle crisis could have been prevented.

Underrated: Richard Nixon, he got us out of vietnam, and he made the voting age 18, so before that you could get dratfted and not be able to vote for someone who wants to pull troops out.

megahaloman64

[QUOTE="Hot-Tamale"]

[QUOTE="avatar_genius"]

I actually prefer Martin Luther King Jr over Ghandi, because MLK was more colorblind than Ghandi was, which I agree with.

avatar_genius

I'm not too crazy about the whole 'colorblind' movement. I think you have to appreciate every manifestation that an individual has, everything from racial characteristics to a person's supposed 'quirks.' It's all part of appreciating life for me, and I'm simply stating that it doesn't compromise political correctness to see humanity as a vastly diverse wellspring of knowledge and community, instead of a homogenous group of individuals.

I don't like being told what to think and do based on my skin color.

I don't think anyone does. What's your point?

[QUOTE="megahaloman64"]

Overrated: John F. Kenedy, the only good thing he did is put man on the moon, and the cuban missle crisis could have been prevented.

Underrated: Richard Nixon, he got us out of vietnam, and he made the voting age 18, so before that you could get dratfted and not be able to vote for someone who wants to pull troops out.

Pirate700

since when was it bad to do things against democrats?

[QUOTE="avatar_genius"]

[QUOTE="Hot-Tamale"]

I'm not too crazy about the whole 'colorblind' movement. I think you have to appreciate every manifestation that an individual has, everything from racial characteristics to a person's supposed 'quirks.' It's all part of appreciating life for me, and I'm simply stating that it doesn't compromise political correctness to see humanity as a vastly diverse wellspring of knowledge and community, instead of a homogenous group of individuals.

Hot-Tamale

I don't like being told what to think and do based on my skin color.

I don't think anyone does. What's your point?

I like MLK's message about colorblindness and content of character and not color of skin and drawing lines in the sand.

Underrated: Benedict Arnold. He basiaclly won the battle of Saratoga and took Fort Ticonderoga, he also led an army threw the Maine wilderness to take Quebec which failed becuase he was ussuplied and outnumbered. Yes he did commit treason, but it was for his girl and she wanted money but the Americans did not have it!

Overrated: Horatio Gates. Arnold's superior officer who took the credit for Saratoga and led thousands of colonials to their deaths in the southern campaign.

Underrated: Vasco de Gama and Henry the Navigator. Portugese explorer/king, sailed to India, nuff said.

[QUOTE="megahaloman64"]

Overrated: John F. Kenedy, the only good thing he did is put man on the moon, and the cuban missle crisis could have been prevented.

Underrated: Richard Nixon, he got us out of vietnam, and he made the voting age 18, so before that you could get dratfted and not be able to vote for someone who wants to pull troops out.

Pirate700

Do explain... >_>

Anyway, Nixon was alright on domestic policy.

[QUOTE="LZ71"]TC, I agree with you on Rommel. He was a good commander, but he's often overlooked because he was part of the German army. He especially was great in the North Africa campaign, he might have actually done a whole lot better if the Italians didn't suck as horribly as they did. :Pbronxxbombers

Yes but Hitler was holding two Panzer divisions in Calais for two weeks after the invasion becuase he thought Normandy was a decoy and the real deal was Calais. Also the troops under Rommels command were not the greatest fighters in the world. A lot of them were non Germans brought in from occupied Europe becuase the Nazis did not have troops to spare.

[QUOTE="Hot-Tamale"]

[QUOTE="avatar_genius"]

I don't like being told what to think and do based on my skin color.

avatar_genius

I don't think anyone does. What's your point?

I like MLK's message about colorblindness and content of character and not color of skin and drawing lines in the sand.

I agree, but people of different skin colors have decidedly different cultures and mannerisms. I think people should learn to differentiate between a myriad of different cultures, since a lot of the conflict that we hear about comes from ignorant individuals who treat all cultures the same way. That's disrespectful in my book; we need to be culturally aware.

Overrated: Jesus.

Underrated: Nero.

cheeselover

Fixed! :P

Overrated: Che Guevera - Hippies and college students don't even know who he is.

Anyone gonna respond to my post?

Overrated: Che Guevera - Hippies and college students don't even know who he is.

avatar_genius

[QUOTE="cheeselover"]

Overrated: Jesus.

Underrated: Nero.

Stesilaus

Fixed! :P

Nero prosecuted Christians and killed his own mother...

[QUOTE="Stesilaus"]

[QUOTE="cheeselover"]

Overrated: Jesus.

Underrated: Nero.

St_JimmyX

Fixed! :P

Nero prosecuted Christians and killed his own mother...

Aside from that, Nero was supposed to be a pretty chill guy, He could bench 300 lbs. Plus, he didn't actually 'fiddle' while Rome burned. He was frantically trying to help its people (the Christians demonize him immensely).

overrated: mlk

underrated: freidrich engels/lenin

overrated: mlk

underrated: freidrich engels/lenin