Quote: “If you want others to follow, learn to be alone with your thoughts. -William Deresiewicz
Free people must always cultivate their own ideas. Otherwise, we're only either reacting to, or agreeing with, the ideas of the day. In order to do either very well, we have to know who we are and where our thoughts come from. What's worth living or dying for? Is it better to leave our kids without a father and be a coward, or to give them memories of your bravery? Is it better to create an inclusive working environment based on what society tells you about diversity, or to create your culture that reflects excellence in another way?
And how will you know?
In this talk, I read Deresiewicz's 2009 address to West Point's plebe class, where he gives us a key discipline in understanding how to think and lead in a world of information overload.