Know-It-All-Do-It-All
The softest-spoken sniper/M.D./spaceman ever.
“The only thing stronger than fear for self, for us, was fear of letting your platoon lead down or fear of getting your friends killed.” - Dr. Jonny Kim recounting the adamant camaraderie that galvanized him and his teammates in war.
When I was in the 5th grade, my teacher presented my classmates and me with the age-old, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” assignment, challenging us to envision our future selves in the coolest and most enticing lives possible. Within minutes, each desk in the room was covered by less than extravagant but certainly colorful drawings that depicted our youthful hopes and aspirations. Our group was a variety, consisting of brave little warriors daring for lives as soldiers or firefighters, late-bloomers wishing to be superheroes or princesses, nerds like me aspiring to be scientists or doctors, and of course the true dreamers chasing careers as astronauts and professional athletes. Questions like this one can be liberating, inspiring, and exciting, as their open-ended nature suggests a world of endless opportunity; however, they can simultaneously limit our creativity by funneling and confining us to a single path. For example, all those years ago, why did our teachers leave only one line for us to fill in on that assignment? What if I wanted to do it all? What if I wanted to be a soldier, doctor, AND an astronaut too? Interestingly, if you asked 10-year-old Jonny Kim what he wanted to be when he grew up, he likely wouldn’t have responded with any of the answers above nor any others like them; instead, he would’ve told you that all he wanted was to escape the fear that burdened him every day in his childhood. But what’s so cool about that guy, right? After all, he’s only a Navy SEAL, Harvard Medical School graduate, and NASA astronaut.
“Being able to stand up to a person, to a figure who I feared more than anyone…especially someone who was threatening to kill you and the person that you loved most, it was empowering…it liberated me. It taught me I’m not the scared little boy I thought I was…[that] I can be a part of something bigger than myself.” - Dr. Jonny Kim describing the long-lasting impacts of his final battle with his father.
Jocko Willink’s bachelor’s in English really shined through when he named this episode of the Jocko Podcast, as Jonny Kim’s story truly is unimaginable. It is literally unimaginable because, as I alluded to above, even the most creative of 5th graders would not have dreamt up a path as impressive and illustrious as Kim’s; additionally, it is metaphorically unimaginable, in that the breadth, depth, and diversity of Kim’s life seem beyond reality for normal people. The truth is that Jonny Kim simply is not normal. Whether it be his abusive upbringing, his heroic performance in the Iraq War, his journey through the medical field, or his dedication to humanity through his work at NASA — all of which he explains in detail during this 4-hour conversation — Jonny Kim is an extraordinary person with a remarkable story.
“I could have done something more...I could have stood up for my friend a little bit more...Ryan deserved better...I made a promise after that...regardless of my rank, where I stood, or what kind of power differential...if I saw something wrong like that, and I knew someone would get hurt, that I would stand up and speak and not let something like that ever happen again. We see things happen all the time that we know aren’t right...I think it’s important to choose what battles you stand up for, but there are some battles that you should never ever stand down from, and I swore that I would never make that mistake again.” - Kim explaining his regrets and the lessons he learned during his time as a U.S. Navy SEAL combat medic.
Beyond his incredible résumé and above his improbable accolades, it is Kim’s demeanor, loyalty, and selflessness that — in my opinion — make him, “uncommon amongst the uncommon”. During this episode, Jocko and Kim navigate through the breath-taking moments and ground-breaking steps that culminate into Kim’s outlandish life; particularly, they dive in deep on Kim’s childhood, both Kim and Jocko’s experiences on military deployments, and the additional adventures Kim pursued and continues to pursue today. If you are looking for a stroll through daisies and daffodils, this one might not be for you, as the conversation encompasses intense topics of war and suffering, and the two do not hold back their memories and convictions. On the other hand, if you want a reminder of how privileged and precious the Middle-Class American life is, or if you are craving a taste of humanity at its best, buckle up and enjoy the ride.
“I didn’t know what to say. There was no training...the protocol for how do I look at the 21-year-old kid that’s cleaning the blood out of one of his friends’ helmets, there’s no protocol for that.” - Jocko Willink illustrating the challenge of addressing death and loss as a commander in combat.
Sure, scientists, princesses, and superheroes are all cool too, but I don’t think any of the dreams my classmates and I expressed in that elementary school classroom quite match up to that of being somebody like Jonny Kim — a savage, an intellectual, an explorer, and a caretaker.
“We owe it to them to be a positive mark in this world...that was why I wanted to be a physician…[and] trying to become an astronaut is completely consistent with [that] promise.” - Kim outlining his commitment to humanity in honor of his fallen brothers and sisters in arms.