Surviving Hard Times: The Stockdale Paradox And Everyday Resilience - ft. Terry Waite and Lucy Hone
Mon Jan 26 2026
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We trace how realistic hope sustains people through captivity and crisis, from the Stockdale Paradox to Sir Terry Waite’s agency in confinement, and preview Dr. Lucy Hone's reframe of resilience as steering through rather than bouncing back. A brief, grounded message closes for anyone in a hard season, with a request to share and stay connected.
• what the Stockdale paradox really means
• why deadline‑based optimism breaks people
• agency as daily practice under pressure
• sir Terry Waite’s memory and interior freedom
• resilience as steering through, not bouncing back
• pragmatism, optimism, and agency as core tools
• a preview of the conversation with dr Lucy Hone
See if you can think of one person who you think might find this helpful, who might need to hear about optimism and pragmatism and finding agency in dark times
Sign up to the Substack This Examined Life if you haven't done so already, where you can receive the newsletter and upcoming episodes and events, and leave a review on the podcast channel if you get the chance. Wherever you get your podcast, it really helps others to find it.
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Send us a text We trace how realistic hope sustains people through captivity and crisis, from the Stockdale Paradox to Sir Terry Waite’s agency in confinement, and preview Dr. Lucy Hone's reframe of resilience as steering through rather than bouncing back. A brief, grounded message closes for anyone in a hard season, with a request to share and stay connected. • what the Stockdale paradox really means • why deadline‑based optimism breaks people • agency as daily practice under pressure • sir Terry Waite’s memory and interior freedom • resilience as steering through, not bouncing back • pragmatism, optimism, and agency as core tools • a preview of the conversation with dr Lucy Hone See if you can think of one person who you think might find this helpful, who might need to hear about optimism and pragmatism and finding agency in dark times Sign up to the Substack This Examined Life if you haven't done so already, where you can receive the newsletter and upcoming episodes and events, and leave a review on the podcast channel if you get the chance. Wherever you get your podcast, it really helps others to find it. Support the show