If we have worked together, we have likely discussed the Stockdale Paradox. Stockdale, a Viet Nam war hero spent at years as the senior military captive in the “Hanoi Hilton.” (Reach out and I’ll tell you more about him.) His survival mindset bears his name: the Stockdale Paradox. This paradox does not wish or pretend away the difficulties—it is not “optimistic.” (In fact, he said the optimists were the first to crumble.) However, it does have an undying faith that we will prevail in the end. That is the paradox: Acknowledging the current “brutal truths” with an unwavering faith that we prevail.
We may have also discussed Martin Seligman’s “Learned Optimism” and my personal struggle with it. Thank God for Seligman who can help those of us not born optimists become more optimistic. But best of all, HOPE is readily available to all. No one has summed this up better that Arthur Brooks and I share a link to a powerful article from him here and below. When you have time, I hope you will read it.
Why am I sharing this now?
We have been through the ringer. A divided country, a global pandemic, runaway inflation, unending higher ed challenges. Pessimists abound. Yet we are building the leaders of the next generation and we must neither flag or fail. How do we keep ourselves up? We must put our oxygen mask on first if we are to continue to properly prepare the future’s leaders.
Perhaps over the Thanksgiving holiday you can take a moment and reflect on hope, optimism and the Stockdale Paradox. You are the leaders the world needs.
And I am here to support you.
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