A Case of Mental Courage

Here's an interesting article in the NYT of mental strength and its current lack of importance.

"Heroism exists not only on the battlefield or in public but also inside the head, in the ability to face unpleasant thoughts."

"To use a fancy word, there’s a metacognition deficit. Very few in public life habitually step back and think about the weakness in their own thinking and what they should do to compensate. A few people I interview do this regularly (in fact, Larry Summers is one). But it is rare. The rigors of combat discourage it. "

In fact, given the emphasis on multi-tasking and the premium we place on mastering it, I don't believe we sufficient time even thinking, let alone honing our mental fortitude. We don't like sacrifice. We don't like pain. Achieving what we want and getting things done our way are associated as measure of self-assurance! Any contrary behavior is a measure of personal weakness.

How to measure your life?

Here's an interesting essay by Clayton Christensen on "how to measure your life." It is based on his commencement address.

And here's an interesting article by David Brooks that provides another perspective on the same topic