Resilience

Resilience Plot Summary

Introduction

In the scorching heat of Fallujah, Iraq, with chlorine gas burning his lungs after a suicide truck bombing, Navy SEAL officer Eric Greitens faced a defining moment that would crystallize his philosophy of resilience. Rather than retreating to safety, he helped fellow service members while continuing the mission despite his injuries. This moment exemplifies the extraordinary journey of a man who has moved seamlessly between seemingly contradictory worlds: Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL, humanitarian worker and combat leader, philosopher and warrior. Greitens represents a rare combination of intellectual depth and physical courage, theoretical understanding and practical application. Through Greitens' remarkable life trajectory, we discover profound insights about human resilience in the face of adversity. His experiences across war zones, refugee camps, and elite military training grounds have yielded wisdom about transforming suffering into strength. From his philosophical education at Oxford to his combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Greitens has developed a framework for resilience that combines ancient stoic principles with modern psychological techniques. His journey illuminates how purpose, community, and disciplined practice can help anyone navigate life's inevitable hardships with dignity and even find meaning in their darkest moments.

Chapter 1: From Scholar to Warrior: The Intellectual Journey

Eric Greitens' path to becoming a resilience expert began in the classrooms of Duke University, where he distinguished himself as a gifted student of ethics, philosophy, and public policy. His intellectual curiosity was matched by physical discipline—he trained as a boxer and won a national championship during his undergraduate years. This early integration of mind and body foreshadowed his unique approach to resilience as requiring both mental frameworks and physical practice. His academic excellence earned him a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where he pursued doctoral studies in political theory and humanitarian issues. While many of his peers remained in the comfortable confines of academia, Greitens felt compelled to witness human suffering firsthand. During breaks from his studies, he traveled to humanitarian crisis zones—refugee camps in Rwanda after the genocide, war-torn areas in Bosnia, and orphanages in Bolivia. These experiences profoundly shaped his understanding of human resilience, as he observed how people maintained dignity and purpose even amid unimaginable hardship. After completing his doctorate, Greitens made a decision that shocked many of his mentors and colleagues—he joined the United States Navy to become a SEAL. This dramatic shift from the hallowed halls of Oxford to the brutal training grounds of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training represented his belief that wisdom must be tested through action. The transition wasn't merely about physical challenges; it required embracing an entirely different culture and value system. Where academia prized nuanced analysis and theoretical complexity, the SEAL teams valued decisive action and clear results. SEAL training became a laboratory for Greitens to test philosophical concepts in extreme conditions. During the infamous "Hell Week"—where candidates endure nearly continuous physical activity with minimal sleep—Greitens drew upon Stoic principles he had studied. The Stoic emphasis on focusing only on what lies within one's control proved invaluable when faced with seemingly impossible physical demands. His ability to segment overwhelming challenges into manageable pieces—focusing only on the next evolution rather than the entire week—demonstrated how philosophical frameworks could translate into practical resilience strategies. Upon completing SEAL training, Greitens joined an elite community dedicated to service through action rather than words. His unusual background made him something of an anomaly—a warrior-scholar who could quote Thucydides and Epictetus while planning combat operations. This unique perspective allowed him to bridge worlds that rarely intersect, bringing philosophical depth to military service and practical wisdom to academic concepts. The transformation from Oxford scholar to Navy SEAL officer embodied his core belief that resilience comes from facing real challenges rather than merely theorizing about them.

Chapter 2: Frontlines of Suffering: Humanitarian Work and Combat

Before donning the uniform of a Navy SEAL, Greitens had already witnessed extraordinary human suffering as a humanitarian volunteer. In Rwanda, he worked with refugees who had survived the 1994 genocide that claimed nearly a million lives in just 100 days. In Bosnia, he encountered victims of ethnic cleansing and systematic rape used as weapons of war. These experiences provided Greitens with profound insights into both the depths of human cruelty and the remarkable capacity for resilience in its aftermath. What struck Greitens most powerfully during his humanitarian work was not just the trauma these people had endured, but their ability to maintain dignity and purpose amid unimaginable hardship. In Bosnian refugee camps, he observed that those who fared best were often parents and grandparents who had young children depending on them—people who had a reason to wake up each morning and be strong for someone else. This fundamental insight would later inform his work with wounded veterans: that purpose, not merely treatment, forms the true foundation of healing. In 2007, Lieutenant Greitens deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, where theoretical concepts of courage and resilience would be tested in the crucible of combat. Fallujah, a city that had seen some of the war's fiercest fighting, remained dangerous despite earlier clearing operations. As a SEAL officer, Greitens led special operations targeting insurgent networks while also working to build relationships with local Iraqi forces. The constant threat of improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers, and ambushes created an environment of perpetual vigilance and stress. One morning, Greitens experienced a defining moment when a suicide truck bomb detonated near his barracks. The explosion was followed by a chemical attack as the bomb had been packed with chlorine gas. In the chaos that followed, Greitens found himself choking on toxic fumes while under enemy fire. Despite the confusion and physical distress, he maintained his composure, helping fellow service members to safety before returning to join the fight. The attack left him with temporary lung damage and partial hearing loss, yet he continued his duties, running each morning despite the pain in his lungs. During his deployment, Greitens formed a close bond with fellow officer Travis Manion. Just weeks after they had stood together during the truck bombing, Manion was killed while drawing enemy fire away from wounded Marines. The loss affected Greitens deeply, particularly after visiting Manion's family upon returning to the United States. He was struck by how the Manion family, despite their grief, focused on honoring their son's sacrifice rather than being consumed by bitterness. This experience reinforced his understanding that resilience isn't merely about personal survival but also about how we respond to loss and honor those who have sacrificed.

Chapter 3: The Philosophy of Resilience: Pain as Teacher

Greitens approaches the concept of pain with nuanced understanding, distinguishing between different types of suffering and their potential value. He identifies two fundamental categories: the pain we choose and the pain that chooses us. The first category includes the voluntary hardships we accept for growth—the strain of exercise, the discipline of study, the sacrifice required for achievement. The second encompasses the uninvited sufferings of life—illness, loss, betrayal, and failure. Both types, he argues, contain potential for growth when approached with the right mindset. Drawing from both ancient philosophy and modern psychology, Greitens argues that our relationship with pain largely determines our capacity for resilience. He references the Stoic philosopher Epictetus, who taught that while we cannot control external events, we maintain absolute sovereignty over our responses to them. This distinction between what lies within our control and what doesn't forms the cornerstone of Greitens' approach to suffering. By focusing our energy on our responses rather than external circumstances, we maintain agency even in dire situations. Particularly influential in his thinking is Viktor Frankl, the psychiatrist who survived Nazi concentration camps and developed logotherapy—a therapeutic approach centered on finding meaning in suffering. Greitens echoes Frankl's insight that those who have a "why" to live can bear almost any "how." He illustrates this principle through stories of individuals who endured extreme hardship yet maintained their humanity by attaching meaning to their suffering—whether through service to others, commitment to values, or hope for the future. Greitens challenges the modern tendency to view all pain as inherently negative and to be avoided at all costs. He suggests that this perspective leaves us ill-equipped for inevitable hardships and denies us the growth that can come through struggle. While acknowledging that not all suffering is redemptive, he maintains that our attitude toward pain significantly influences whether it breaks us or strengthens us. This philosophy doesn't glorify suffering for its own sake but recognizes that growth often requires discomfort, that wisdom frequently emerges from wounds, and that resilience develops through recovery from difficulty. Through personal anecdotes and historical examples, Greitens demonstrates how pain can serve as a teacher. He recounts how his boxing coach would say, "You can't get better fighting someone who's worse than you." Similarly, life's challenges reveal our weaknesses, test our character, and potentially expand our capacity. The key, according to Greitens, lies not in avoiding pain but in engaging with it purposefully. By reframing our relationship with pain, we can transform it from an enemy to be feared into a difficult but necessary teacher.

Chapter 4: Building Mental Toughness: Practical Techniques

Resilience, in Greitens' framework, is not an innate quality but a skill developed through deliberate practice and specific mental techniques. He emphasizes that mental toughness isn't about suppressing emotions or maintaining a facade of invulnerability, but rather about developing practical tools to navigate adversity effectively. This approach makes resilience accessible to anyone willing to put in the work, regardless of natural temperament or past experiences. One core practice Greitens advocates is "segmenting"—breaking overwhelming challenges into manageable pieces. During SEAL training, he observed that candidates rarely quit during physical evolutions themselves; they quit when contemplating the entirety of the challenges ahead. The solution is to focus only on the immediate task: make it to the next meal, complete the current evolution, take the next step. This principle applies equally to civilian challenges like recovering from illness, building a business, or overcoming addiction. By focusing on what's immediately before us rather than the entire mountain ahead, we maintain momentum and prevent paralysis. Controlled breathing emerges as another essential tool in Greitens' resilience toolkit. He explains how combat breathing—inhaling for a count of four, holding for four, exhaling for four—activates the parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting the fight-or-flight response. This simple technique, practiced by warriors throughout history, provides a physiological reset during moments of extreme stress. Greitens teaches that by controlling our breathing, we begin to control our thoughts and ultimately our actions. This practice bridges the gap between physical and mental resilience, demonstrating how bodily processes influence psychological states. Mental rehearsal constitutes a third critical practice. Drawing from both military training and sports psychology, Greitens advocates visualizing challenges in advance—not just successful outcomes, but the obstacles and discomfort we'll likely encounter. This "premeditation of evils," a concept borrowed from Stoic philosophy, prepares the mind for difficulty and reduces the shock when hardship arrives. Unlike mere positive thinking, effective mental rehearsal acknowledges potential struggles while simultaneously building confidence in our ability to overcome them. Greitens places special emphasis on the power of self-talk—the internal narrative that shapes our perception of events. He notes that resilient individuals don't necessarily experience less fear or pain than others; they simply relate to these experiences differently. By consciously shaping our internal dialogue—replacing catastrophic thinking with realistic assessment, and helplessness with agency—we can dramatically alter our response to adversity. This practice doesn't deny reality but frames it in ways that empower rather than diminish us.

Chapter 5: The Mission Continues: Leadership Through Service

After returning from combat deployment, Greitens faced a critical juncture common to many veterans—how to continue serving with purpose in civilian life. Rather than simply resuming his academic career, he identified a significant need among his fellow veterans. Many were struggling with the transition to civilian life, not primarily because of physical or psychological wounds, but because they missed the sense of purpose and community they had experienced in military service. This insight led Greitens to found The Mission Continues in 2007, a nonprofit organization with a revolutionary approach to veteran reintegration. Instead of treating veterans as broken individuals needing charity, The Mission Continues challenged them to continue serving their communities through volunteer work and civic leadership. The organization provided fellowships that enabled veterans to work with community organizations addressing issues from education to disaster relief. The genius of this model lay in its understanding of human psychology. Greitens recognized that resilience comes not from avoiding challenges but from engaging with meaningful ones. By serving others, veterans could rediscover purpose, rebuild identity, and reestablish community—three elements often lost in the transition from military to civilian life. Under Greitens' leadership, The Mission Continues grew rapidly, eventually supporting thousands of veterans across the country. The organization's success demonstrated the power of his resilience philosophy in action—that people grow stronger through service to others, that pain can be transformed through purposeful action, and that community is essential to healing. This approach transformed the narrative around veterans from objects of pity to valuable civic assets with unique leadership skills and experiences to contribute. Greitens approached organizational leadership with the same principles he applied to personal resilience. He built a culture that balanced high expectations with genuine support, that acknowledged difficulties without being defined by them, and that celebrated service above self. His leadership style emphasized leading from the front—never asking others to do what he wouldn't do himself. This authenticity attracted dedicated staff and volunteers who shared his vision of transformative service. The Mission Continues became more than just a veteran service organization; it evolved into a model for how communities could harness the leadership potential of those who had served in uniform. Through this work, Greitens demonstrated that the principles of resilience he had developed through study and refined through combat had practical applications for addressing complex social challenges. The organization embodied his belief that resilience is not merely about personal survival but about creating meaning from hardship and using that meaning to serve others.

Chapter 6: Brotherhood in Hardship: Honoring the Fallen

The bonds formed in adversity often prove to be among life's most profound connections. Greitens explores how shared hardship creates a unique form of friendship that transcends ordinary social relationships. Drawing from his experiences in the SEAL teams, he illustrates how the interdependence required for survival in combat creates trust that cannot be replicated in comfortable circumstances. These relationships aren't merely about emotional support but about mutual accountability and shared purpose. One relationship that profoundly shaped Greitens' understanding of brotherhood was his friendship with Lieutenant Travis Manion, a fellow officer who was killed in Iraq. After returning home, Greitens visited the Manion family, sharing stories about their son and witnessing how they channeled their grief into honoring Travis's legacy through a foundation bearing his name. This experience reinforced his belief that resilience isn't merely an individual quality but something nurtured within communities of support. The Manion family demonstrated how even the most devastating loss could be transformed into purposeful action. Aristotle distinguished between three types of friendship: those based on utility, those based on pleasure, and those based on virtue. Greitens argues that the brotherhood formed in service embodies this highest form of friendship—one based on shared commitment to excellence and common values. These relationships don't just provide emotional support; they actively challenge us to become better versions of ourselves. The best friends, he suggests, are those who see both our current reality and our potential, and who love us enough to help bridge that gap. True friendship, in Greitens' view, involves both accountability and compassion. He recounts how his fellow SEALs would push each other beyond perceived limits during training, while simultaneously offering unwavering support when someone struggled. This balance of challenge and care creates an environment where growth thrives. Unlike relationships based solely on affirmation, these bonds include the willingness to deliver difficult truths when necessary—not to tear down but to build up. Greitens emphasizes that honoring fallen comrades involves more than memorials or remembrances. The highest honor comes through living in a way that embodies their values and continues their legacy. He shares how many veterans find healing not through dwelling on loss but through purposeful action that gives meaning to sacrifice. This approach transforms grief from a debilitating weight into a motivating force. By carrying forward the best qualities of those we've lost, we ensure that their influence continues beyond their physical presence.

Chapter 7: Beyond Survival: Transforming Pain into Purpose

Mere survival represents only the beginning of resilience, not its culmination. Greitens articulates a vision of resilience that extends beyond weathering hardship to creating meaning from it. Drawing on Viktor Frankl's insight that suffering without meaning leads to despair, he explores how purposeful living transforms our relationship with adversity. This perspective shifts the question from "Why is this happening to me?" to "What does this make possible?" or "What am I being called to do in response?" Central to this perspective is the distinction between happiness and flourishing. While happiness often depends on favorable circumstances, flourishing remains possible even amid difficulty. Greitens references Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia—a life of virtue, meaning, and excellence—as a more worthy goal than transient emotional states. This approach doesn't dismiss happiness but places it within a larger framework of purposeful living. By focusing on contribution rather than comfort, we develop resilience that transcends circumstantial happiness. Greitens challenges the modern tendency to define ourselves as victims of circumstance. While acknowledging that we cannot control many external events, he emphasizes our freedom to choose our response to those events. This freedom—to assign meaning, to determine our attitude, to decide our actions—remains inviolable even in the most restrictive circumstances. By exercising this freedom, we transform from passive recipients of fate to active authors of our lives. This shift in perspective doesn't deny suffering but refuses to grant it the final word. The concept of vocation—work that aligns with our deepest values and utilizes our unique gifts—figures prominently in Greitens' vision of purposeful living. He distinguishes between career (what we do) and calling (who we are becoming through what we do). Finding work that serves others while engaging our talents creates a sense of purpose that sustains us through inevitable difficulties. This approach to vocation isn't limited to paid employment but encompasses any meaningful contribution we make to others. Perhaps most importantly, Greitens emphasizes that significance comes through service to others. He observes that those who focus exclusively on their own pain often remain stuck in suffering, while those who channel their pain into helping others frequently find healing. This paradox—that we receive by giving, that we heal by helping—appears consistently in the lives of resilient individuals across cultures and throughout history. By connecting our personal struggles to larger purposes, we transform private pain into public good.

Summary

Eric Greitens offers a philosophy of resilience forged through both scholarly study and battlefield testing. His approach synthesizes ancient wisdom with modern psychology, intellectual rigor with practical application. At its core lies the conviction that adversity, while never desirable, contains potential for growth when approached with the right mindset and tools. Resilience emerges not as an innate quality possessed by a fortunate few, but as a capacity that can be developed through specific practices and perspectives accessible to anyone willing to engage in the work of transformation. The wisdom Greitens shares transcends particular circumstances to address universal human challenges. Whether facing physical danger, professional setbacks, personal loss, or internal struggles, the principles remain consistent: focus on what you can control, break overwhelming challenges into manageable pieces, maintain purposeful perspective, draw strength from community, and transform suffering into service. These insights offer a pathway not just to surviving life's inevitable hardships but to emerging from them with greater wisdom, compassion, and purpose. For anyone navigating difficult circumstances or seeking to build capacity for future challenges, this philosophy provides both practical tools and inspiring examples of human potential to transform pain into strength and suffering into significance.

About Author

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Eric Greitens

Eric Greitens was an Angier B. Duke Scholar, Truman Scholar, Rhodes Scholar, Navy SEAL, White House Fellow, champion boxer and sub-3 hour marathon runner. He is currently the founder/Chairman of the Center for Citizen Leadership in St. Louis, MO.Eric's book of award-winning photographs and essays, Strength and Compassion , grew from his humanitarian work. His doctoral thesis, Children First, investigated the ways in which international humanitarian organizations can best serve war-affected children. He has worked as a humanitarian volunteer, documentary photographer, and researcher in Rwanda, Cambodia, Albania, Mexico, India, the Gaza Strip, Croatia, and Bolivia."

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