The Stockdale Paradox

There is a downside to being an optimist.

Jim Collins in his seminal book ‘Good to Great’ tells a story about General Stockdale. General Stockdale was a POW in Vietnam for 8 years, where he survived and continued to lead his troops against all odds. When asked who didn’t survive, he merely replied ‘the optimists.’

“The optimists would say we’d be free by Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then summer, then Christmas again. Ultimately, they died of a broken heart.”

This is the Stockdale Paradox: believing we will prevail while at the same time embracing the realities of the moment, no matter how harsh. He looked reality square up, and this allowed for the next step. And the next.

Most of us will never be faced with a reality so extreme or obstacles so large. But General Stockdale is another case-study on how to prevail. By facing his truth, he was able to make things better. Bit by bit, day by day.

What is it, really, that we need to overcome?