Here's some snippets from one of my favorite books, 48 Laws of Power:
For every famous martyr there are 1000's more who have inspired NEITHER a religion nor a rebellion, so that if martyrdom does sometimes grant a certain power, it does so unpredictably. More important, you will not be around to enjoy that power, such as it is. And there is finally something selfish and arrogant about martyrs, as if they felt their followers were less important than their own glory.
Martyrdom serves no purpose--better to live on in an oppressive world, even to thrive in it.
