To be or to do. Which way will you go?
Ego is the Enemy, chapter 3.
John Boyd understood that most people fall in love with an image of what success looks like. It allowed him to become one of the most influential, practitioners of modern warfare that most people have never heard of.
He was truly a great fighter pilot, known as “forty-second Boyd” (meaning he could defeat any opponent, from any position, in less than forty seconds). He was never promoted past the rank of colonel, rarely if ever received praise, and retired assuming that he’d be forgotten. Is it possible that this was a deliberate path? What if it made him more influential?
What can we learn from him, and why should we strive to be like him?
Whatever we are seeking, reality has a way of encroaching on our idealism. It comes in many forms, including popularity, commitments, and politics. In every case, the public eye can quickly redirect us from doing to being. From earning to pretending. From chasing our goals to talking about our goals. Ego aids in that deception every step of the way. This is how we can find ourselves corrupted by the very occupation we wished to serve.
Boyd lived by the saying “To be or to do? Which will you choose?”
Appearances can be deceiving. Deceivment can be intoxicating in the short term. Having authority is not the same as being an authority. A promotion doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing good work, and it doesn’t mean you are worthy of a promotion. Impressing people is utterly different from being truly impressive.
DUTY, DISCIPLINE, COMMITMENT.
or
PRIDE, POWER, GREED.
A lot of people want to change the world, including me (fun fact), and that’s a good thing. We want to be the best at what we do, we don’t want to be a fake. But in practical terms, which of the three words above is going to get you there? Which are you practicing now? What’s fueling you?
What’s your purpose? What are you here to do?
If what matters is you—your reputation, your fame, your personal ease in life— your path is clear: Tell people what they want to hear. Seek attention over the quiet but important work. Follow the general track of talented people, pay your dues, and check the boxes. Chase your fame, your salary, your title and enjoy them as they come.
If your purpose is something larger than you—to accomplish something, to prove something to yourself—everything becomes both easier and more difficult. The other choices wash away, as they are only distractions. It’s about the doing something great, not the being recognized. No compromise. Ridged in your standards. Is this allowing me to do what I need to do?
Boyd changed and improved his field in a way almost no other theorist has in history. Yet, John Boyd was repeatedly held back from promotions. He was forgotten by history as a punishment for the work he did.
Think about this man the next time you start to feel entitled, the next time you conflate fame and the American Dream. Think about how you might measure up to a man who actually created change, and made his field a better place.
The next time you’re faced with a choice, think about this: Do I need this? Or is it really about ego? Are you ready to make the right decision? Or do the prizes still glitter off in the distance?
To be or to do—life is a constant roll call.