General Stanley McChrystal

It's great to see you.

It's great to see you.

Well, I'm just going to break out of this and start with what I want from you. From me? I want you to start a national conversation on character. Yes. I think we could begin it tonight with this group. It's a fine group. I think we... What's the framing of the conversation? I think we turn the lights up, we bring some beer in.

Well, I'm just going to break out of this and start with what I want from you. From me? I want you to start a national conversation on character. Yes. I think we could begin it tonight with this group. It's a fine group. I think we... What's the framing of the conversation? I think we turn the lights up, we bring some beer in.

Yeah, I think first is character is our choice. That's the great thing about it. We have agency over who we as individuals are. And Heraclitus said an individual's character is their fate. Character is destiny. I think that's true. Yeah. I also think it's true of a nation. And so we get to choose what our character is. Not somebody else. We get to choose. And it's the answer.

Yeah, I think first is character is our choice. That's the great thing about it. We have agency over who we as individuals are. And Heraclitus said an individual's character is their fate. Character is destiny. I think that's true. Yeah. I also think it's true of a nation. And so we get to choose what our character is. Not somebody else. We get to choose. And it's the answer.

Didn't we just try that? Yeah.

Didn't we just try that? Yeah.

American people went, eh, character. And only 65% of America voted. Yes. And the reality is we can do better than that. Right. What I think we can, yeah. Right. If character is the essence of who we are, Thomas Paine said that reputation is what men think of us. Character is what angels know of us.

American people went, eh, character. And only 65% of America voted. Yes. And the reality is we can do better than that. Right. What I think we can, yeah. Right. If character is the essence of who we are, Thomas Paine said that reputation is what men think of us. Character is what angels know of us.

Then I think if we look inside and we say, what can we, each of us as individuals, be, we have the opportunity to be something different. I mean, none of us is perfect. Every one of us makes a mistake every day. I'm 70 years old. I make mistakes, and it still frustrates me. You're 70? What am I doing wrong?

Then I think if we look inside and we say, what can we, each of us as individuals, be, we have the opportunity to be something different. I mean, none of us is perfect. Every one of us makes a mistake every day. I'm 70 years old. I make mistakes, and it still frustrates me. You're 70? What am I doing wrong?

The great thing about character is it is a combination of two things. It is our convictions. It's what we believe. Right. And there's no right or wrong to that, except we have to have thought about them. We have to know what they are. The beauty of writing this book is it forced me to put on paper and to really think about what I believe. Then the other half of it is our discipline.

The great thing about character is it is a combination of two things. It is our convictions. It's what we believe. Right. And there's no right or wrong to that, except we have to have thought about them. We have to know what they are. The beauty of writing this book is it forced me to put on paper and to really think about what I believe. Then the other half of it is our discipline.

Do we live to them? You know, you can have a lot of convictions you tell people about, but if you don't live them... They're zero. Right. And so I think our character is the essential identity of us as people and us as a nation. And we've led it a road.

Do we live to them? You know, you can have a lot of convictions you tell people about, but if you don't live them... They're zero. Right. And so I think our character is the essential identity of us as people and us as a nation. And we've led it a road.

Yeah, I think it's got three steps. I think the first is we need to think about character more. That's largely individual, but you can share it with people. Then we need to talk about it. We need to talk about it in small groups, not just on TV, but we need to talk about it in our schools and our families.

Yeah, I think it's got three steps. I think the first is we need to think about character more. That's largely individual, but you can share it with people. Then we need to talk about it. We need to talk about it in small groups, not just on TV, but we need to talk about it in our schools and our families.

There are certain norms that I think almost all of us would agree on. But as you talked about faith earlier, There are parts of faith that we vary on. But I think that if we talk about what are the things that sort of bound America together, what are the things that we all believe, how we treat people, be fair to people, have empathy, give an opportunity to people.

There are certain norms that I think almost all of us would agree on. But as you talked about faith earlier, There are parts of faith that we vary on. But I think that if we talk about what are the things that sort of bound America together, what are the things that we all believe, how we treat people, be fair to people, have empathy, give an opportunity to people.