18 Comments

Thank you, Sam. I am reminded of Viktor Frankl who endured the concentration camps and found his purpose in the midst of unthinkable horror. This quote is among my favorite: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Half Yellow-Face would have understood those words.

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That is a beautiful connection to make between two incredible humans. Frankls knowledge of the human condition will never lose its power. Thank you, Sheila.

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Sam, another gem. In my civilian & business world I use visualization of “worst case scenario”. The result is peace of mind. To arrive at this, I use the S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to organize one’s thoughts. I actually shared this with a few friends to prepare for the worst case scenario of the results of the most important election. The result could be 1984 or golden age for our next generations.

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Let's remember that, whoever is elected in November, the battle carries on. These are just two people, albeit important ones, in a bloated government that will not alter very much as a direct result of the election. Over time, and with unrelenting force from principled people, we can steer a better course.

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I agree that lawfare on steroids by the “Dems/Neocons” will continue if the budding Unity party wins. At least Trump and Elon Musk will try to cut down the inefficient bureaucracy. Musk did it when he acquired Twitter.

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Thank you Barry, the SWOT is spot on, a great strategic way to prepare for whatever comes, especially digging into the threats category. I am still amazed at how similar the war/business mindset is. It makes me think of the Samurai. When their age was over, they become extremely powerful businessmen - I would imagine their minds were constantly working a SWOT analysis.

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Sam, I accessed this through a note another shared. WOW. As a civilian who has lived a very comfortable life I read hear about Half-Yellow-Face (HFW) and the references to your own experiences and recognize my comfort has created in me an entitled whiner. I can most assuredly see how HFW is a model for a warrior such as yourself; moreover, I realize the response of Half-Yellow-Face to his circumstances are also a model and inspiration for wussy knuckleheads like myself to buck up and take adversity with a better mindset and response.

Also, this is a really well-written piece. I am better off having read this not only for the message it conveys, but for the quality of the written expression of that message.

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Chuck, I am grateful this essay struck you so positively. The "entitled whiner" lives in all of us. The more Half-Yellow-Face we can embody, the better off we will all be. Thank you for reading.

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A book that I read at age 21 that profoundly influenced my life was Black Elk Speaks. Black Elk of the Lakota was a second cousin of the war leader Crazy Horse and fought with him in the Battle of Little Bighorn then survived the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. The books account is in essence the eye witness history of what occurred when Europe collided with native America and two entirely different perceptions of reality were unable to co-exist, and why.

Black Elk describes when he was a young brave and they gathered to go into a battle, their shout was "Hóka-héy!" … "Today is a good day to die"

That has stuck with me for over fifty years because it is impossible to say those words without really meaning it. Is there an entirely different reality of majestic human creatures ? Why is it so difficult to tell a lie when you place your right hand over your heart ? Maybe we were created to be majestic creatures ?

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I just ordered it, thank you for the rec. I really enjoy this thought of being majestic creatures. That is the sense I get whenever I read books on pre-state peoples - the harder the environment, the more beautifully they suffered. There is a great deal of wisdom here.

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Yes, victimhood. That is the mantra of today's progressive movement. Not "How hard have we tried?" but "How much have we been victimized?"

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What a travesty. I cannot imagine what those like Half-Yellow-Face would say if they saw it. Those who knew the value of life would probably have little patience with those who waste it.

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Beautiful. Reminds me of something Jesus said.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

John 12:24-25 (ESV)

This passage speaks of the reality of death—not just physical, but a death to self and worldly attachments—as a pathway to eternal life. Jesus uses the metaphor of a seed that must die to produce life, illustrating that true spiritual life and fruitfulness come through embracing the reality of death to self, sin, and worldly desires.

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Epic reference, Willy.

We will indeed know each other by our fruits.

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Another great post and a quality discussion in the comment section!

I’m jealous of your success at internalizing stoic philosophy and practicing it daily. I’m just getting started, so I continue to learn from you here.

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John, we're all figuring this out as we go along. I am stoked to have you on board.

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Yes, another great post Sam!

I too have wondered why great martial artists don’t apply the techniques and mindset which has given them such high level skills to their lives in general.

The writers of the samurai sword fighting manuals seem to have broken through to a general understanding of the cosmic significance of their war fighting principles, and you have, too.

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I really appreciate it, Chris. These same exact threads are woven all through history. I have to believe it means something. The more I look, the more I find. Thank you for reading.

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