James Bond Stockdale (1923–2005) was a U.S. Navy vice admiral, Medal of Honor recipient, and philosopher known for his resilience as a Vietnam War POW and contributions to Stoic philosophy.
Born in Abingdon, Illinois, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy (1946) and became a fighter pilot. During the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964,) he led aerial attacks from the USS Ticonderoga. In 1965, his plane was shot down over North Vietnam, and he spent over seven years in captivity at the Hanoi Hilton. Despite torture, he led resistance efforts, drawing strength from Epictetus’s Stoic philosophy.
After his 1973 release, Stockdale continued his military career, serving as Naval War College president and later as a Stanford University research fellow. In 1992, he ran as Ross Perot’s vice-presidential candidate.
Stockdale authored several books, including Courage Under Fire (1993,) Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot (1995,) A Vietnam Experience (1984,) and Stockdale on Stoicism II (2010.) His memoir, In Love and War (1984,) co-written with his wife Sybil, recounts their Vietnam War experiences.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by James Stockdale
You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.
—James Stockdale
Topics: Challenges
A liberally educated person meets new ideas with curiosity and fascination. An illiberally educated person meets new ideas with fear.
—James Stockdale
Topics: Education
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