[December 10, 2021] Life is competition. Life is survival. But it is more! Life is about living morally, about playing the game and winning by the rules, knowing when to step up and be counted (often in the face of great danger). Life is tough, but it also brings great joy. Today, I will discuss a philosophy of success; in other words, to compete and survive with honor.
The world is littered with the dead bodies of tyrants, bullies, and evil people who target those who are weak, unimaginative, lazy, and spiritless. To be successful, I believe, means you must do two things. First, you must not be weak, unimaginative, lazy, and spiritless. Second, you must protect those who are. “How” to do that is the challenge.
Humans, by their very nature, are social creatures. We thrive around others and wither away when not involved with people. Our ability to survive those encounters is the real issue and why I have a simple philosophy of success. That idea (or collection of ideas) will drag even the least self-confident and self-able person across the finish line.
Fundamentally, we must understand that people are complex but have similar wants, drives, and ambitions. Yes, we are all similar. We are also different, but only in subtle ways. Therefore, we must recognize those similarities and become experts at applying those ways to succeed.
In Part 1 and Part 2, I laid out a few ideas that can help bring us a life of success with decency and graciousness. My theme was that we must be responsible for our own lives. Otherwise, we will never achieve real value or realize satisfaction or happiness.
Part 3: A Philosophy of Success
My philosophy of success means you must tell the truth.
This is a simple idea. It is easy to write and talk about telling the truth, but it is truly challenging. Being brutally honest is the only way; everything else follows form being truthful. It requires a high degree of discipline, boldness, and elegance. It also means that by telling the truth, we must not be fooled by pseudo-truths or taken in by propaganda. The world starts to make more sense, we are more efficient and powerful, and evil is pushed aside when truth is an imperative. Without the truth, we are nothing.
Thus, to be successful means “seeing” the truth in its most vicious and most insightful forms. To do this, we must be physically strong, mentally resilient, spiritual (in a religious sense), and devoted to our family, community, and team.
You will be respected and admired if you always tell the truth. Your life will not be easy, far from it. You will be challenged, but only through overcoming the greatest of challenges can you indeed be successful in life.
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Please read my new book, “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” at Amazon (link here).
Excellent series, thank you Gen. Satterfield. Very informative.
Gen. Satterfield, please continue writing more like this. A philosophy of success? Yes, that is what we need but that philosophy must be based in morality. That morality is religious in its most deep understanding. Humans have not changed that much over the centuries, except in technology. But deep down, we are the same. Therefore, it follows that reading the ancient texts on what is ‘important’ to us, has great value. We can learn from them.
Well said, Frankie Boy. I’m a huge fan of this leadership website.
Well done, Gen. Satterfield on another informative series. This topic is constantly overlooked. Just look at how our President got caught off-guard in Afghanistan and the debacle that followed. And, how the coronavirus surged and killed more people than expected. Get caught off guard is partly due to not being ready.
“My philosophy of success means you must tell the truth.” … Gen. Satterfield
Everything flows from this point. If you build your house on sand, it will fall. If you build yourself on lies, it will fail. Note to self, “tell the truth, always.”
… and never never never forget.
SUPER series. Thanks, Gen. Satterfield.
Gen. Satterfield, I want to congratulate you on your recently published book and on completing another short series on an important topic, “You must be ready.” Too many folks are never ready. Why? It’s not stupidity but I think it’s something else. Read this blog and implement what is being said here. You can then overcome just about any obstacle.
Hey, RED, great to see you back on Gen. Satterfield’s blog. We are all looking forward to your next article. I’m your number one fan.
Sadako Red, you’re great. Thanks for what you are doing in the Washington DC area. We need all the stable and intelligent people we can get down there, given all the crazy politicians. What’s really happening now in Baltimore. I’d like to hear more from you on it.
Here is my favorite article ever, “Stupid is as Stupid Does …City of Baltimore”
https://www.theleadermaker.com/stupid-is-as-stupid-does-city-of-baltimore/
I agree, this is the article that really got my attention.
Yes, excellent article. These special guest writers help add flavor to this blog.
I’d like for RED to write a similar blog post on Washington DC like he has done for Baltimore. That would be really interesting read. That way we get to read about what NOT to do as a leader.
Wow, great ending to your three-day series on being ready. I agree. This is an old theme from the ancients to today. I propose that more of us get ourselves ready for what may happen, the unexpected. Great article Gen. Satterfield and best wishes to you and your family this Christmas.
Thanks Otto!
For those that are new to this leadership blog that Gen. Satterfield has been writing now for over 8 years, you will occasionally find that he has a mini-series on a topic that he loves. This is one of them. From me, a long time reader, you will find that his themes are consistent and strong. Enjoy this blog, a rare gem.
You got that right Yusaf. You and I are two of the originals.
There are a few of us that are long-time fans. Thanks Harold for pointing it out.
Harold, Yusaf, JT, Otto, Greg, and a host of us. Yes, good to be recognized. But there are about a dozen more that regularly write and read this website of goodies. Hey folks. Have a wonderful holiday season and I’m not afraid of saying Merry Christmas.
Yep, thanks. 👍
Another excellent article and a great ending to this series. Thanks!!!!
Yesterday, I wrote, ‘Being ready means adopting a philosophy of success. This is not new. These ideas have been with us as long as mankind existed. Philosophers have written about it. Academics debate it. And, everyone else, like you and me, can “see” what is needed.’ — Gen. Satterfield. I will add that not every one can ‘see’ what is needed and never will. That is why we must look out for them, protect the weak and infirm.
And I think that is why Gen. Satterfield says that to be successful you must protect the weak and those unable to defend themselves. Who are the weak? The young, babies, the unborn, the elderly, the sick and disabled, and others like this. Some of us will be temporarily weak. That is not a shame to be so.
Lynn, you hit onto something here. That is why we like to have respect of others. But that is a much more complex idea than immediately hits our consciousness. Read this two-part series: “How Senior Leaders Gain Respect,” parts one and two.
https://www.theleadermaker.com/how-senior-leaders-gain-respect-part-1/
Well said, Lynn.
JT, once again, great comments. An old idea coming back in style.