Some people may look at the Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment and our previous examination of their applications to everyday life and say, “Right, easy for you to say, you don’t know what I deal with.” Those people will respond to the idea of Core Values as such:
Honor: This is just wishful thinking. It is not how the real world works. There are shades of grey all around us and to keep things running smooth, and to keep myself out of trouble, certain truths must be concealed. My response to that: Not my problem. You’re the one with the screwed up life looking for answers. Put down the Prozac and self-help books and try something new.
Courage: This is circular reasoning. Saying that people who don’t have courage just need to step up and use courage is logically impossible. My response to that: Circular reasoning is not a problem for Marines and it shouldn’t be for you either. Have you ever tried to explain logical impossibilities to a Drill Instructor? I have. It is utterly amazing how the impossible looks more and more probable with each increase in vocal volume from an angry Staff Sergeant three inches away from your ear.
Commitment: This is unrealistic. You’re saying that people need to internalize a level of dedication that they have as yet been unable to attain. You’re saying that they need to do the hard work of thinking about how to respond to situations by applying core values that they’ve never lived by before. You’re saying that they need to drive themselves out of the rut they’ve been so comfortable with all these years. My response to that: Yes.
Next?
