THINKING AND TRUTH AND WINNING IS WHAT MATTERS

THINKING AND TRUTH AND WINNING IS WHAT MATTERS

By Andy Weddington

Saturday,  05 June 2021

Winners take the actions that others won't.  - James Arthur Ray

Yesterday I bought a book.  

At a brick and mortar bookseller.

At checkout a screen prompt requested Yes or No to sign up for a credit card. 

I laughed and nonchalantly commented to the clerk, "Who does this, a 14-years old?"

He took me seriously and replied they were legally too young but he'd actually "sold" one last week. He used the word "sold."

That struck me odd. So I said something else subtlety sarcastic and he proceeded to tell me the rollout history of the card offer. In short, stupid corporate was not interested in excuses they wanted 10 sales per day. 

The field was not making corporate mission. Not even close.

Business is war.

War is brutal. 

Back to that later. 

Home and in my favored library chair with a tall glass of club soda but a few pages into the book (nonfiction) I suspected knowing one of five people at a mentioned informal gathering. What are the odds?

Thinking.

Forty years ago standing before a platoon of infantry Marines preparing for a Second Marine Division Commanding General's inspection (to be preceded by battalion and regiment) I asked a lance corporal, "When is your mother's birthday?"

The Marines had been schooled and drilled on all sorts of questions about their weapons, tactics, uniforms, chain of command (up through President), Marine Corps history, etc., and knew their stuff. But.

The Marine, after correctly answering questions for which he had been prepared, replied, "Sir, I don't know when my mother's birthday is ... I don't know."

I can still see the expression on his face. 

He told the truth. But. 

He was not thinking. 

Following an awkward silence, "Marine, do you think I know your mother's birthday?"

"No sir."

"Then why not make up a date and state it with confidence?"

And I went to inspect the next Marine.

A couple of years later ... 

The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Marine Recruit Training ordered series commanders to personally interview each recruit during training and ask a specified set of questions. One of those questions went something like, "Have you been physically or verbally abused by anyone during training or witnessed another recruit being physically or verbally abused?"

Drill Instructors (DIs) knew the SOP inside out. They knew that question. 

DIs are not stupid. 

Recruits are not stupid.

I asked every question, including that one, as outlined in the SOP. 

And before dismissing the recruit I asked one more 'oh by the way' question not in the SOP ... 

"Recruit, tell me about the funniest thing you've witnessed since being aboard Parris Island."

And that is how I found out truth. In some cases abuse that would have not otherwise been discovered. 

At a reunion some years ago I mentioned that questioning technique to a former commanding general of the Parris Island depot. He chuckled and said, "Andy, had I know about your question I'd have had every series officer asking it."

But it might not have worked. For the DIs would have been wise, and in turn their recruits. But maybe. We'll never know. 

Thinking. 

Truth.

Winning. 

Winning matters. 

Winning is life. In fact, in nature to survive is to win. Life does what it has to do to endure. 

It's war. It's brutal.  

Humans do not enjoy exemption; though the truth is we think we do. 

Many reading are old enough to recall the Y2K (2000) panic. 

The particulars do not matter but in essence there was hysteria about an unforeseen (possible) computer coding problem - sort of a virus. 

The infection had to be treated by experts or the world was going to end; all over a couple of zeros (the 00 ending 2000).  

Computers had to be screened, and tinkered with, and tagged with a visible Y2K compliant sticker or else.

Plenty of skeptics.

Big, big money.

Government, media, and big business partnered. 

Defying forecasts, the world did not end.

Twenty years later they figured out how to move panic from machine to people. 

The sticker now a not-yet-FDA-approved vaccine for Covid-19. And just this week more reports of government agencies not interested in (so not requiring reporting) tracking adverse vaccine reactions. In other words, no interest in truth. While government threatens. While media hypes. And while big business breaks out crowbars and sledgehammers, in the form of "incentives," to take your medicine. 

Plenty of skeptics. 

Big, big money. 

Is public health the primary concern?

Do you want to laugh, cry or both?

Thinking. 

Truth.

Winning.

Now about winning.

The book is about World War II. With a look at some of the men who thought, spoke truth, and (some who) fought to win. 

And win they did; Europe and Pacific.

Curtis LeMay was a 33 years-old captain. At 37 he was a major general. 

Curtis LeMay did not take prisoners; battlefield or not. 

Curtis LeMay thought.

Curtis LeMay told the truth; in as few words as possible.

Curtis LeMay won. 

Curtis LeMay won because he applied common sense and logic to complex problems. He won because he spoke truth. He won because he was willing to take actions others would not and do so as point man. 

That's pretty much what my mom and dad raised me to do - think, speak truth, and win (while on point).

Of course I know my dad's (Air Force veteran who told me stories about General LeMay) and mom's birthdays.

War is brutal. 

Where are you General LeMay(s)?

In closing ...

This morning confirmed knowing (that) one of five people. What are the odds!

'The Bomber Mafia' by Malcolm Gladwell - read it!