James Stockdale Quotes

“Do what you will, reputation is at least as fickle as your station in life. Others decide what your reputation is.”

“Don't let 'reputation' get mixed up with your moral purpose or your will power; they are important. Make sure 'reputation' is in that box in the bottom drawer marked 'matters of indifference'.”

“If you want to protect yourself from 'fear and guilt', and those are the crucial pincers, the real long-term destroyers of will, you have to get rid of all your instincts to compromise, to meet people halfway. You have to learn to stand aloof, never give openings for deals, never level with your adversaries. You have to become what Ivan Denisovich called a slow moving cagey prisoner.”

“Make sure in your heart of hearts, in your inner self, that you treat your station in life with indifference, not with contempt, only with indifference.”

“What Epictetus was telling his students was that there can be no such thing as being the 'victim' of another. You can only be a 'victim' of yourself. It's all in how you discipline your mind.”

“Work with what you have control of and you'll have your hands full.”