Gen. Stanley McChrystal

It's more morally frightening because if you're there with them, you can go, hey, we're all in this together. If you're not, you're out there. And of course, you're open to criticism. So I was amazed in the moment because I was one of his ops officers and I was able to watch it up close. And that was a moment of the loneliness of command. Nobody else wanted to understand.

I don't even think after the fact, most people gave him credit for that. But it never left me.

I don't even think after the fact, most people gave him credit for that. But it never left me.

I don't even think after the fact, most people gave him credit for that. But it never left me.

Yeah. I think I define convictions as things which you believe, but not those superficial things you believe. Someone tells you X and you just accept it because they told you and you don't bother to look it up and you don't care. Convictions aren't that. Convictions are those things about life, about values, beliefs.

Yeah. I think I define convictions as things which you believe, but not those superficial things you believe. Someone tells you X and you just accept it because they told you and you don't bother to look it up and you don't care. Convictions aren't that. Convictions are those things about life, about values, beliefs.

Yeah. I think I define convictions as things which you believe, but not those superficial things you believe. Someone tells you X and you just accept it because they told you and you don't bother to look it up and you don't care. Convictions aren't that. Convictions are those things about life, about values, beliefs.

that you have decided to examine and to think about and really wrap your mind around. Unfortunately, I think we don't do enough conviction now. Even in many cases, our religion is the religion our parents took us to when we were young. So we just accept it. And so most people are the religion that they are first exposed to. They didn't do a comparative analysis and pick the best one.

that you have decided to examine and to think about and really wrap your mind around. Unfortunately, I think we don't do enough conviction now. Even in many cases, our religion is the religion our parents took us to when we were young. So we just accept it. And so most people are the religion that they are first exposed to. They didn't do a comparative analysis and pick the best one.

that you have decided to examine and to think about and really wrap your mind around. Unfortunately, I think we don't do enough conviction now. Even in many cases, our religion is the religion our parents took us to when we were young. So we just accept it. And so most people are the religion that they are first exposed to. They didn't do a comparative analysis and pick the best one.

Most people are patriotic to their nation because that's where they're a citizen. Most people listen to what pundits or social media influencers or whatever, and they sort of grab these beliefs and they pass them off even to themselves as their own. And they start to believe this is this just because it is.

Most people are patriotic to their nation because that's where they're a citizen. Most people listen to what pundits or social media influencers or whatever, and they sort of grab these beliefs and they pass them off even to themselves as their own. And they start to believe this is this just because it is.

Most people are patriotic to their nation because that's where they're a citizen. Most people listen to what pundits or social media influencers or whatever, and they sort of grab these beliefs and they pass them off even to themselves as their own. And they start to believe this is this just because it is.

But when you really get a chance to reflect on something and force yourself to put some opposition, red team your own ideas and beliefs, decide why you believe that. Because convictions are things you should live for or if necessarily be willing to die for. And that's the bedrock that a real character's built on. Solid convictions that you are as sure about as you can be.

But when you really get a chance to reflect on something and force yourself to put some opposition, red team your own ideas and beliefs, decide why you believe that. Because convictions are things you should live for or if necessarily be willing to die for. And that's the bedrock that a real character's built on. Solid convictions that you are as sure about as you can be.

But when you really get a chance to reflect on something and force yourself to put some opposition, red team your own ideas and beliefs, decide why you believe that. Because convictions are things you should live for or if necessarily be willing to die for. And that's the bedrock that a real character's built on. Solid convictions that you are as sure about as you can be.

Thomas Edison?

Thomas Edison?

Thomas Edison?

Yeah, I mean, strange guy. Very ambitious guy, obsessed worker. When I think of him in convictions, I think he was almost single-threaded on ambition. Now, an ambition that was impressive to create, but I don't think of him as one of the moral leaders that I would... Use this as a guidepost.