Recognize the Stockdale Paradox for Optimistic Problem Solving
An optimist smells roses, while a realist looks at a funeral. Optimism and realism are opposites, right? According to Stockdale’s paradox, in order to achieve your goals, you must accept both points of view.
The Stockdale Paradox, named after Admiral James Stockdale , underlines the paradox of hoping for a better but realistic expectation of complications. Those who are sincerely hopeful will believe that everything will work out no matter what. The pure realist believes that everything will work out only if you solve your problems. However, as Stockdale pointed out, achieving difficult goals requires both ways of thinking:
You must remain faithful that you will win in the end, no matter the difficulty. AND AT THE SAME TIME you must confront the most brutal facts of your present reality, whatever they may be.
The key is to refer to BOTH parts. I think most of us are born optimists (or we probably wouldn’t be business owners) and we believe that everything will go by itself, BUT we CANNOT afford to ignore the problems and problem people that are in our hospitals. …
An optimistic approach allows you to believe that challenging tasks are possible. Of course, I haven’t been able to eat better and train a million times before, but I still believe it’s possible. At the same time, my realistic side can examine the problems that prevented me from achieving this, and change what needs to be changed. As Stockdale emphasizes, if you rely solely on optimism, you can never deal with the practical obstacles in your path. However, if you rely solely on cynical realism, you are less likely to tackle more complex tasks.
How The Stockdale Paradox Can Make You A Better Leader | Catalyst