An Antidote to Cynicism

When a university student and a cadet at West Point ask me the same question, months apart, I have to think about why. Different times, different places, different circumstances, yet the same question: “What makes you so positive?” “Why are you so positive, all the time?”

My reply begins with a somewhat flippant, “Well, you see, even my blood type is B-positive!” Then I go on to explain the “why” I am “so positive.” I tell them, “In my whole lifetime, in my own country I see the lowest level of trust, the highest level of cynicism, yet I am filled with hope for the future of our people, of our country.” Then I go on to tell them why. I talk about this generation now on campuses, at our military academies. This is a different ...

Get More Hesselbein on Leadership now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.