The Fool

[JSNYC]

If the world is round,
is The Fool really jumping off a cliff or
just stepping down unto a path?

I always thought he was jumping and now I think that he's
not in any fear of where he is going.

I would characterize The Fool as stepping into the unknown. He has no idea what is ahead or below. And of course, he is not afraid; he is The Fool! He doesn't know enough to be afraid! The Fool just does what comes naturally to The Fool, which is to simply be... The Fool.

That pesky dog is trying to warn him though, trying to let him know that he should be afraid...

 

[Richard]

I would characterize The Fool as stepping into the unknown. He has no idea what is ahead or below. And of course, he is not afraid; he is The Fool! He doesn't know enough to be afraid! The Fool just does what comes naturally to The Fool, which is to simply be... The Fool. ......

That's a perfect description of the hero of Wolfram's book Parzival. He is so naive that one wonders how he manages survive from day to day. He has absolutely no conception of fear, but fortunately (for him) he is invincible and lives to fulfill his destiny as the Keeper of the Grail.