There is only one 'retirement plan' for terrorists.
Jim MattisRead
There is no room for military people, including our veterans, to see themselves as victims, even if so many of our countrymen are prone to relish that role.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of resilience among military personnel, encouraging them to reject a victim mentality.
Jim Mattis highlights the need for military individuals, including veterans, to maintain a strong and empowered identity rather than viewing themselves as victims. This perspective is a call for strength and self-assertion, contrasting with a societal tendency to embrace victimhood, urging veterans to rise above challenges and take pride in their service and experiences.
In practice
In a speech to veterans, one can use this quote to inspire pride and strength.
There is only one 'retirement plan' for terrorists.
There are hunters, and there are victims. By your discipline, cunning, obedience, and alertness, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.
Now from a distance, I look back on what the Corps taught me: to think like men of action, and to act like men of thought!
I believe that many of my young guys lived because I didn't waste their lives because I didn't have the vision in my mind of how to destroy the enemy at least cost to our guys and to the innocents on the battlefields.
For whatever trauma came with service in tough circumstances, we should take what we learned - take our post-traumatic growth - and, like past generations coming home, bring our sharpened strengths to bear, bring our attitude of gratitude to bear.
Policy makers who have never served in the military continue to use the military to lead social change in this country.
It's very hard to turn your back once you're aware of what's going on, and you're aware of the injustices, and you're aware of the civilian casualties. It's much easier if you have no idea and you've never seen it.
There were worse things than death, as she'd discovered. Sometimes living took far more courage. Facing another day. Enduring. Those things took strength. Far more than dying.
There comes a time in the life of every human when he or she must decide to risk βhis life, his fortune and his sacred honorβ on an outcome dubious. Those who fail the challenge are merely overgrown children, can never be anything else.
You have to stand up and say, 'There's nothing wrong with me or my shape or who I am; you're the one with the problem!'
Luke warm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God.
I don't think I'm fearless at all. I think anybody who says they're fearless doesn't last very long. I think I'm pretty cautious, actually.
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