Overview
James Stockdale was a brave and mighty soul (wikipedia). In this article, I outline the timeless and enduring advice from Vice Admiral Stockdale while he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. I was reminded of Vice Admiral Stockdale while contemplating the coronavirus pandemic. His philosophy and thoughts deeply resonated with me when I first read about Stockdale a couple of years ago and are very relevant in these times.
Who is James Stockdale?
Vice Admiral Stockdale served on active duty in the US Navy for 37 years. Most of those years were as a fighter pilot aboard aircraft carriers. In 1969, he was shot down on his third combat tour over North Vietnam. He was the senior naval prisoner of war in Hanoi for seven and one-half years – tortured 15 times, in solitary confinement for over four years, in leg irons for two (source).
On 18 April 1995, Vice Admiral Stockdale shared his thoughts about his prisoner of war experience with the Marines. The central theme of his talk is “how man can rise in dignity to prevail in the face of adversity”. Stockdale was deeply influenced by stoic philosophy and credits the philosophy for his ability to prevail in oppressive circumstances. We are nearing the 25th anniversary of his talk. His talk was transcribed into two articles (Stockdale on Stoicism – Part 1 and Part 2). Stockdale also wrote multiple books about his experience.
Why Read This?
This is wisdom from a man that went through hell. His story is stunning to say the least. He handled an “unprecedented situation” for himself and other American prisoners of war with mental fortitude, strength, and clarity.
What Stockdale went through is beyond my mental comprehension. Imagine being a prisoner of war, stuck in a small cell all alone, tortured, and without access to proper food nor healthcare. Now imagine being in these circumstances for seven (7) years. This thought sends shivers down my spine. Stockdale turned the hell he faced into “the single defining moment of his life”.
Stockdale’s principles are powerful, timeless, and enduring. He was deeply influenced by stoicism which has a rich history of relevance. If you contemplate the principles, they will touch the core of your heart. Ultimately, the adversity and struggles we each face will differ. However, I found the philosophy espoused by Stockdale is as relevant today as it was forty-six years ago in Vietnam.
I strongly encourage you to read the original articles linked above. I am certain that you will come out with deeper understanding and wisdom to face adversity.
Key Principles
Stockdale Paradox
Jim Collins popularized the Stockdale paradox, named after the Vice-Admiral, in his famous book “Good to Great”. Stockdale had a distinct mindset to deal with the oppression he faced while in prison. Stockdale balanced the ability to deal with the brutal facts of his condition while never losing the vision that he would prevail in the end.
Here are some thoughts that the Vice Admiral shared with Jim Collins (source):
“Well, you have to understand, it was never depressing. Because despite all those circumstances, I never ever wavered in my absolute faith that not only would I prevail—get out of this—but I would also prevail by turning it into the defining event of my life that would make me a stronger and better person.”
“The optimists. Yes. They were the ones who always said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ Christmas would come and it would go. And there would be another Christmas. And they died of a broken heart.” Then he grabbed me by the shoulders, and he said, “This is what I learned from those years in the prison camp, where all those constraints just were oppressive. You must never ever ever confuse, on the one hand, the need for absolute, unwavering faith that you can prevail despite those constraints with, on the other hand, the need for the discipline to begin by confronting the brutal facts, whatever they are. We’re not getting out of here by Christmas.”
My takeaway: The Stockdale paradox seems very relevant to our current situation. We all want life to get back to normal. However, it is hard to predict when life, our community health, and the economy will turn the corner. We need to face the brutal facts about the coronavirus pandemic while knowing that human ingenuity and creativity will ultimately prevail.
Your Station in Life Can Change at Any Time
Vice Admiral Stockdale mentions that our station in life can change in an instant and is “out of our control” and “beyond our power”. As a Wing Commander, Stockdale commanded about a thousand people, a hundred planes, and was the beneficiary of symbolic status and goodwill. In an instant after he was captured, he was beaten and treated with utmost contempt.
Stockdale talks about the experience of being captured and tortured taught him about his own fragility:
- “that you can be reduced by the natural elements, or men, to a helpless, sobbing wreck-unable to control even your own bowels-in a matter of minutes.” and
- “No, “station in life” can be changed from that of a dignified and competent gentleman of culture to that of a panic-stricken, sobbing, self -loathing wreck, maybe a permanent wreck if you have no will, in less than an hour.”
His advice to us is simple – “To avoid that, stop kidding yourself, just do the best you can on a common-sense basis to make your station in life what you want it to be, but never get hooked on it. Make sure in your heart of hearts, in your inner self, that you treat your station in life with indifference. Not with contempt, only with indifference.”
My takeaway: Be Humble. Enjoy this moment. View your current station in life with indifference as we never know what tomorrow brings.
Understand What You Can Control and Not Control
One of the key tenets of stoic philosophy is to clearly differentiate and understand what is within our control and what is not.
Stockdale believed that there are a relatively few things in our control – “my opinions, my aims, my aversions, my own grief, my own joy, my moral purpose or will, my attitude toward what is going on, my own good, and my own evil.”
Stockdale believed that the following things are out of our control – “Station in life”, “your reputation” (others decide this), your health, your wealth, your pleasure, your pain, your fame, your disrepute, your life, and your death.” Per Stockdale: “They are all externals, all outside your control in the last instance, all outside the power of where you really live.” Stockdale believed that if “you took care of the things you control; you’ll have your hands full.”
My takeaway: Understanding what you can and cannot control gives you a sense of what does and does not matter. This is powerful and liberating.
Play Your Part Well
Stockdale understood the practical difficulties with his philosophy. “Everybody has to play the game of life. You can’t just walk around saying: “I don’t care about my health, or wealth, or my reputation, or whether I’m sent to prison or not.”
Stockdale leans on Epictetus to address this quandary. We have to play the game of life with “skill, form, speed, and grace”.
This is the sage advice he relays from Epictetus: “Remember that you are an actor in a drama of such sort as the Author chooses: if short, then in a short one; if long, then in a long one. If it be His pleasure that you should enact a poor man, or a cripple, or a ruler, or a private citizen, see that you act it well. For this is your business, to act well the given part. But to choose it belongs to Another.”
My takeaway: Do the best with whatever you are given. Even if you have not been given much.
The Right Way to Look at Impediments
When the Vice Admiral landed in Vietnam, he broke his leg. He had a limp for the rest of his life. Epictetus also had a cripple and Stockdale shares a gem “Lameness is an impediment to the leg, but not to the will; and say this to yourself with regard to everything that happens. For you will find it to be an impediment to something else, but not truly to yourself”.
My takeaway: Ziglar used to say people and events can stop you temporarily. Only you can stop yourself permanently.
See the Good in Others
I was stunned to hear the Vice Admiral mention the good he saw in the Vietnamese soldier that tortured him. Stockdale believed the man was “a good soldier, never overstepped his line of duty.” Stockdale believed that good and evil did not reside in the outside world. It passed through every human heart.
He says “That even in hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead to good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains an un-uprooted small comer of evil. There is some good and some evil in all of us, and that’s Stoic doctrine.”
My takeaway: I don’t know if I have the wisdom and courage to see the good in somebody that was torturing me. If we can extend generosity and goodwill to even those that may have harmed us, I cannot think of a better way to lead one’s life.
Controlling Your Emotions Can Be Empowering
Stockdale believed that “all human emotions are acts of will. You’re happy because you want to be happy, you’re drained or sad when you want to be sad, and fear is not some-thing that danger forces on you. When you find yourself afraid, it’s time to realize that you decided, wanted, willed that you fear. With-out your having fear, nobody can meaningfully threaten you.”
Stockdale’s takeaway is very simple: Fear is an emotion and controlling your emotions can be empowering.
Understanding Good and Evil
Stockdale’s take on good and evil is shaped by stoic philosophy. He believes, “Nothing that is natural can be evil. Death cannot be evil. Disease cannot be evil. Natural disasters cannot be evil. Nothing inevitable can be evil. The universe as a whole is perfect, and everything in it has a place in the overall design. Inevitability is produced by the workings of this mechanism. Events do not happen by chance, they arrive by appointment. There is a cause for everything, and “chance” is simply a name for undiscovered causes.
Neither good nor evil can be abstractions. Epictetus said: “Where do I look for the good and the evil? Within me, in that which is my own.” But for that which is another’s never employ the words “good” or “evil,” or anything of the sort. Goods and evils can never be things others do to you, or for you.”
My takeaway: Accept the reality of life including death. Good and Evil are within myself.
What is the fruit of these doctrines?
Somebody asked Epictetus: “What is the fruit of all these doctrines?” He answered with three sharp words: “Tranquility, Fearlessness, and Freedom”.