Repost: Stockdale's Paradox
“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.”
Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, USN
posted by Concerned American | 1:59 PM
5 Comments:
If only Americans would come to terms with the truth that image and substance aren't interchangable. Stockdale came off in the VP debates as "out of touch", or at least that's how he seemed. But the character of the man was so far above all of the other candidates on the ticket that year (and every year since) that by comparison, he would have made an excellent president. But the Generally Dumb Masses can't get beyond a smooth speaking style or a fancy haircut!
Thank you for this.
The first time I ever heard of him was when he ran for V.P. I remember people saying some very nasty things about him. I made a similar comment to my dad right after I was enlightened by Phil Hartman and Saturday night live. My dad not so kindly pointed out to me that I should pull my head out of my fourth point of contact and do a research about the man before I open mouth and say anything else. I went to the library and read his Medal of honor citation. Felt like a complete and total fool. Learned a good lesson about a good man taught by a good man.
A great man and like you say considerably several cuts above anything I have seen in my lifetime and likely ever.
@ GunRights4US - make sure you do complete history in your studies... what does it means that he was involved in Tonkin and then by chance in the very next mission shot down. There is a lot we don't know in what we read about these guys.
"Stockdale led aerial attacks from the carrier USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) during the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident. On his next deployment, while Commander of Carrier Air Wing 16 aboard the carrier USS Oriskany (CV-34), he was shot down over enemy territory on September 9, 1965. "
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