Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton by Peter Fretwell

Author:Peter Fretwell [Kiland, Baldwin, Taylor; Fretwell Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612512181
Publisher: Naval Institute Press

ONE FREEDOM YOU ALWAYS HAVE: TO CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE

A sense of efficacy—however meager—was critical to the POWs’ mental health. Once again the recurring theme of “no excuses” surfaces: the prisoners responded to their bleak existence without most basic human rights by focusing on what they could control. In an environment characterized by few freedoms, few choices, and little power, Stockdale’s actions were a type of power play—the strongest he could muster.

In Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr. Viktor Frankl reminds readers of one sense of efficacy that can never be taken away, even when forces beyond your control take away everything else you possess: your freedom to choose how you will respond to a situation. Every day Stockdale and many of the POWs consciously chose freedom with regard to their attitudes, one of the few aspects of their lives they could control. They chose not to be victims. Indeed, their daily acts of resistance, their continuous attempts to stay connected with each other, and their adherence to the mission—Return with Honor—boosted their confidence and took the word “victim” right out of their individual and collective vocabulary. “Was I a victim? Not when I became fully engaged, got into the life of unity with comrades, helping others and being encouraged by them. So many times, I would find myself whispering to myself after an exhilarating wall tap message exchange: I am right where I belong; I am right where I was meant to be,” wrote Stockdale.7

Frankl—and Stockdale’s Stoic philosophy—emphasize that when you have no other freedom, the choice over how you will respond can be a lifeline. That solitary choice—or sense of control—is a powerful antidote to helplessness and despair, one that scientists frequently cite as a major contributor to mental health and an individual’s personal hardiness.

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