After his plane was shot
down, Commander James Stockdale spent more than seven years of his life as a
prisoner of war in North Vietnam’s Hoa Lo Prison (the Hanoi Hilton). In spite
of being a senior ranking naval officer Stockdale (later to become Rear Admiral
Stockdale) suffered extreme humiliation, abuse, torture and was refused medical
treatment. Later in life he was asked by James Collins, author of the business
classic Good to Great, to explain
what sustained him physically and mentally in the face of such extreme and
lengthy hardship.
Collins asked Stockdale about those who didn’t survive the ordeal of capture.
Oh, that's easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.
Stockdale then added:
This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.
The most brutal facts of
our current global reality are stark. Today Covid-19 is an incredibly
infectious virus that is lethal for many people. Left unchecked the virus
spreads quickly and health systems are easily overrun. Today we have no cure,
no real treatment and no guarantee that ‘herd immunity’ is possible. Today,
locking down (at an unimaginable personal, social and economic cost) is the
only thing that seems to be slowing the spread.
Now is not the time to
demand that our politicians and scientist answer our cry – ‘How long?’
Now is the time to follow
their lead, respond to their advice and do whatever we can to be part of the
solution.
Focussing on today, while
living in hope, is better than false optimism. There are over eighty separate
teams of the most brilliant men and women working on a vaccine. Anti-viral
experiments using existing drugs are being pursued desperately. No scientific
quest has ever been explored with such universal international support. History
too, encourages us that scientific breakthroughs often come way out of left
field; with a chance observation, a random thought or an accidental connection.
We do not have the luxury
of pleading like an impatient child on a long journey ……….
‘Are we there yet?’
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
Richard, I love your work, and still want that interview
ReplyDeleteI will give you a call next week bro
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