The Art of Clear Thinking: A Stealth Fighter Pilot's Timeless Rules for Making Tough Decisions

by Hasard Lee

I didn’t have time to think through each option, so I fell back on the mantra, “There’s no problem so bad you can’t make it worse.” The default decision was to leave the aircraft in its current setting.

Though we have talented pilots, the mantra that we bet our lives on is that a good pilot uses superior judgment to avoid situations that require the use of superior skill. Clean and clear decision-making will nearly always beat talent alone.

Storytelling is the most powerful way of imparting knowledge. Outside of experiencing a lesson on your own, stories allow for context, which, combined with knowledge, produce understanding.

Knowledge is only useful to the degree that it can be drawn on when it’s needed.

The first step is to Assess the problem. Without a proper assessment of the problem, it’s impossible to consistently make good decisions.