Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[March 17, 2023] I was recently asked by one of my readers what was the most important rule in your book, 55 Rules for a Good Life, and why. My answer was easy. Never lie, cheat, or steal. The reason is that it is an excellent starting position to straighten out your life. And, of these, never lie… Read More »
[March 16, 2023] Everywhere I’ve worked, I learned that if you go beyond the basics and push yourself beyond the minimum and show some humility to learn, you will get ahead of the game. But, there will also be corruption that will hunt you down, and it will catch you and drag you down from getting ahead. Keep… Read More »
[March 15, 2023] You have nothing better to do than to be right. That is at the heart of being a person; one who knows what is good, acts properly, does not break in the face of evil or tragedy, and stands with those who are weak and defenseless. A young Army Officer asked me the other day… Read More »
[March 14, 2023] In 1960, a small group of boys sat in a movie theater to watch the second movie any of them had seen; the first was King Kong. All I remember from it was the finale’s Roman chariot race in MGM film Ben Hur (1959). We sat there, eyes open wide and transfixed. It should be… Read More »
[March 13, 2023] My life was about to become more difficult and complex, or so I thought. As a senior Captain, I had been given command of saving a broken U.S. Army company with the singular mission to “fix it.” Unbeknown to me, my life would get much simpler in a good way and much less anxiety provoking. … Read More »
[March 12, 2023] People are not after being happy. They are interested in not being hurt. Most folks do not want to be bubbly, enthusiastic, and full of laughter and smiles. That is not what they mean by “I want to be happy.” They mean, “I don’t want to be anxious or in pain.” People want to avoid… Read More »
[March 11, 2022] “Learn to connect the dots, Satterfield.” My commander was on my case about not properly using our military intelligence to properly position my Infantry Company in an upcoming training battle. I thought I was doing a good job, obviously not. I was not able to make the mental leap from the many intell inputs to… Read More »
[March 10, 2023] People often talk to me about my courage; they say because of my time in combat, but that is not precisely correct. I just learned to be afraid of the right things. During my time in the Army, I’ve seen that not saying what is true is what really has terrible consequences. Whatever I had… Read More »
[March 9, 2023] Yesterday, I saw a Robin in my backyard for the first time this winter. The annual arrival of birds, especially Robins, heralds springtime’s arrival and affirm that life continues. And so it was, as I grew up in the Deep South with so many of my relatives who still live there, influenced by “southern culture”… Read More »
[March 8, 2023] “Saddam Swings” blared the headlines of the Daily News. In the early morning hours of December 30, 2006, disgraced Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging. I was in Iraq at the time, just a couple of miles away. His hanging changed my thoughts on the death penalty. There are “crimes” that the proper… Read More »