What is Bravery? Conversation - Jocko Willink & Echo Charles

Excerpt from JOCKO PODCAST.
Join the conversation on Twitter: @jockowillink @echocharles

[alexanderbutler]

Theres a difference between bravery and fearlessness.

Both are good and admirable qualities.

[ryanjonny]

Cus D'Amato, the legendary boxing trainer of the likes of Mike Tyson, he said it best. '' People judge you on what you do, not on how you feel''

[NK-The_One]

I love how honest Jocko is about this. You don't have to be scared to be brave. And some people truly have it easier in this regard. But in any case, you have to do the action, no matter how afraid you are.

[wolfwoodphreak]

when you're afraid is the only time one can be brave... - eddard stark

[engineco.]

I found from my experiences as a firemen, fear keeps you alert to the danger and brings out your focus on the task at hand.

[matt-berkshirebuildingllc]

Jocko’s patience with echo is great. Makes for a fun dichotomy.

[tomneville]

„How can a man be brave if he‘s afraid?“ „That is the only time a man can be brave.“ -Eddard Stark

[gnarthdarkanen]

For what it's worth...
Courage (bravery) is simple. It's NOT the absence of fear. Courage is DOING whatever it is anyway... fear, no fear... no difference. Just do.
Some of us guys (and gals I imagine) have this thing... like a mechanism in the back of our minds... It let's us know fear when we sit quietly enough, like during that briefing, or in the truck or plane, waiting... The door opens, or the marching starts... that mechanism "turns off" and it's not that we don't feel fear, exactly... We just stop thinking about it anymore. That fear, consequences, failure potential, the "whatever can go wrong" stuff slips out of focus and we're just "in the doing" part. There isn't time to think about being afraid anymore.
An example...
So I like a hobby of model rocketry. As a kid, I used to buy the kits, and put them together and watch them lift up and parachute down in the yard... Then I started building all my own. I could "cook up" the fuel-oxidizer mixes and mold them for the burn chambers, build the nozzles, set together a competent fuselage and fins, even manufacture primitive directional controls and so on... BUT the WORST sound in the world is SILENCE... When you hit that switch and NOTHING happens, there's a spark somewhere... There's heat somewhere... The rocket was taller than me, had plenty of fuel... but nothing...
So the "rule" was time-out after five minutes (5 min.)... AND then I pick up the crimps and pliers, and it's time to go "diffuse" the thing... Now, every other time a rocket that size went off properly, it burned about a two-foot deep hole in the ground approximately four feet across... And burning plain dirt away is hellish hot, but I was responsible.
Courage could be the thing that put me on my knees, using the pliers to extract the igniter, and the crimps to snip the wires, so I could examine what was actually wrong. Since I'd be horribly disfigured (in all likelihood) if the thing went off just then... OR since I took the breath and let it out, I quit thinking about that part... I wasn't stupid. I knew damn well what could easily happen. BUT I had a responsibility. If it fell over, or someone else got close before they found out what it was... it could injure anyone... or accidentally fly into a house and cause all manner of hell... No. I got on my knees, pulled out the igniter, and snipped the wires... I replaced the "ignition set" with a fresh one, and changed the batteries in the power-box...
To this day, I hate the sound of silence, because at heart, I'm still a hobby rocketry guy. I don't even particularly care if the thing flies flawless, or blows a very large hole in the ground and rains flaming shrapnel all around... (lolz) Not everything gets to go according to plan. I can accept that. I still take up my responsibility when the button is pressed, and a deafening SILENCE settles around us... If the rocket ever catastrophically failed (blowing up instead of launch) when I was kneeling next to it, it almost certainly means I won't live long enough to regret it anyways... But I can't possibly manage those tiny friggin' wires and little bitty components worth a damn, if I'm too busy being scared of what might happen when it all goes to hell. I have that thing that stops me thinking about it, so... I focus on results. ;o)

[alexanderbutler]

Looking at all the Game of Thrones references reminds me of The Hound and his fear of fire. Most would consider him a total badass and completely fearless and he is but for him fire is kryptonite. Often very brave people have that one thing that completely terrifies them. It takes an enormous force of will to overcome that fear but that is the mark of a man.

[morotetsuke]

some give into battle madness....they can get others needlessly hurt or injured. guys that use their head and move forward where the outcome is uncertain are brave

[LetondAtreides]

It's an interesting question whether you should feel fear, accept it, and overcome it ... Or if you should learn to just not feel it in the first place.

Ideally you want correct judgement with suitable follow through. So you want a level head.

Fear... May lead to self sabotage when things become hard. You may be more inclined to find an exit rather than push through.

In which case... A team that's not going to back off might stop you from being able to back off. Even so, fear itself may not benefit the team's actions.

[MichaelCleaverR]

Get the tigers bro! Keep em coming echo. Whoop!

[elplateado]

Dang Echo, what is in your mailbox that you'd be willing to fight a tiger for it ? Pobably those Warrior Bars (I've heard they are tasty).

[storytime]

Confidence isn't bravery. Fight your fear and not allowing it to control you is brave.

[mindofown]

I feel like a skinny wimpy weed compared to you guys, but I love the discussions, = they're excellent!

[timothyelson]

please get a channel on xm radio. if you need a gofundme then start one and I will certainly contribute. imagine a channel for vets. talk shows, music, everything that would motivate current and former military.

[DRF]

Major Henry Crowe would've probably chased the tiger down the street in his pyjamas

[Acoto]

I don't consider bravery and fearlessness the same thing.

[bestleader]

The Arabs have a word for it it's "jariya'' which is basically overcoming the fear and doing the action while bravery is "shuj'ah' not feeling a single mofo thing.

[lukecronquist]

Echo missed SH's point here that Jocko said. Doesn't matter if you are afraid. It is about the danger. Cause even a fearless one knows he might die - that's still bravery - comes from wisdom (of knowing the risk/cost).