Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter PilotThoughts on issues of character, leadership, integrity, personal and public virtue, and ethics, the selections in this volume converge around the central theme of how man can rise with dignity to prevail in the face of adversity—lessons just as valid for the challenges of present-day life as they were for the author's Vietnam experience. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 42
Page 10
... live with yourself . • An Aristotelian answer : Man is not a package of on - off switches ; he is not at his base some sort of binary computer . Compulsion and free will can coexist . To give up just because you know you can't achieve ...
... live with yourself . • An Aristotelian answer : Man is not a package of on - off switches ; he is not at his base some sort of binary computer . Compulsion and free will can coexist . To give up just because you know you can't achieve ...
Page 35
... lives to avoid it . But our gamesmen dropped that obligation like a hot potato when the North Koreans de- manded that our government make a false confession , a public false confes- sion in the name of our president no less , as a quid ...
... lives to avoid it . But our gamesmen dropped that obligation like a hot potato when the North Koreans de- manded that our government make a false confession , a public false confes- sion in the name of our president no less , as a quid ...
Page 38
... live in affluence and with perturbation . " Eigh- teen hundred years later , Carl Jung , Swiss protege of Sigmund Freud , was describing the process as destabilizing victims with fear and then polarizing them with guilt . He who would ...
... live in affluence and with perturbation . " Eigh- teen hundred years later , Carl Jung , Swiss protege of Sigmund Freud , was describing the process as destabilizing victims with fear and then polarizing them with guilt . He who would ...
Page 39
... lives . We had no feelings of owing any Vietnamese remorse . My friend and prison mate Jim Kasler was a Korean War fighter ace against the MiGs at the Yalu and veteran of scores of bombing missions in North Vietnam . He described the ...
... lives . We had no feelings of owing any Vietnamese remorse . My friend and prison mate Jim Kasler was a Korean War fighter ace against the MiGs at the Yalu and veteran of scores of bombing missions in North Vietnam . He described the ...
Page 40
... lives , our friends back in the cell block from whence . we had come . This feeling of rottenness was made all the worse by the degrading dictatorship - of - the - proletariat rules of procedure in those dungeons . An American had to ...
... lives , our friends back in the cell block from whence . we had come . This feeling of rottenness was made all the worse by the degrading dictatorship - of - the - proletariat rules of procedure in those dungeons . An American had to ...
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Common terms and phrases
Admiral Air Force American prisoners asked aviators battle became bombing called carrier cell combat commander communist Congressional Medal courage course duty emotional Enchiridion enemy Epictetus Epictetus's ethics evil fear feel fighter pilot fighting flying friends going Gruters guilt Hanoi heart idea Japanese Kissinger knew Lance Lance Sijan later leader leadership learned leg irons lieutenant lives Medal of Honor Mike military mind months moral Naval Academy Naval War College never night North Vietnamese officer person Phil philosophy play political prison president pressure prisoners of war professor Rhinelander ropes senior sense shot Sijan solitary Stanford started Stockdale Stoic Stoicism stress Sybil talk tap code tell things thought told Tonkin Gulf Tonkin Gulf Resolution took torture troops trying U.S. Navy Vietnam Vietnam War virtue Washington William Bundy
Popular passages
Page 46 - I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Page 231 - If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?
Page 37 - Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern...
Page 42 - If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Page 215 - 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, see that you act it well ; or a cripple, or a ruler, or a private citizen. For this is your business, to act well the given part; but to choose it, belongs to another.
Page 193 - If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information nor take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades.
Page 37 - Give, therefore, thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people ?' And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
Page 42 - If we are thrown into the blazing furnace , the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. '"But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
Page 209 - A man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea. If he tries to climb out into the air as inexperienced people endeavour to do, he drowns — nicht wahr?