Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s (R-TX) life experiences as a Navy SEAL, a Harvard graduate, and an elected member of the House of Representatives serve as the foundation for his new book Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage. The book is both biographical and a guide to fighting life’s battles with integrity rather than outrage.
“The lesson is pretty simple,” Crenshaw said Monday on Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow. “You have to challenge yourself and engage in self-imposed suffering in a habitual way.”
“When you do that, you do build the mental calluses you need. You build psychological strength. You build physical strength, and you need that to engage in the real world because the real world does hit you hard sometimes,” said Crenshaw, who in 2012 on his third tour of duty, was struck by an improvised explosive device, which destroyed his right eye and left him with only partial vision in his left eye.
“I’m not saying nothing is worthy of outrage, of course,” Crenshaw said. “There is real injustice in this world, of course, and there’s certain things to be outraged about.”
“But I also say, don’t ever pretend that there is actually any utility in that emotion,” Crenshaw said. “Even if you’re right — screaming and yelling and insulting — it still doesn’t help you win the battle you’re claiming you want to win. In fact, it probably helps you lose it.”
“The only way you are going to win is if you actually get people on your side,” Crenshaw said.
The book also recalls when comedian Pete Davidson mocked Crenshaw’s devastating injury on Saturday Night Live — a move Davidson later apologized for on the weekly show.
“On behalf of the show and myself, I apologize,” Davidson said before Crenshaw showed up on stage — a move that revealed his character and helped his political career.
Marlow also asked Crenshaw about the coronavirus and what has unfolded in the past few weeks with what was, at first, a temporary lockdown that has now stretched out for nearly months.
“I think we had plenty to reason to lockdown at first for the stated goals of saving our hospital system and for flattening the curve to some extent, but I fail to see any excuse for the continuation of those lockdowns,” Crenshaw said.
“We’ve kind of mentally manipulated ourselves into this abundance of fear,” Crenshaw said.
Crenshaw referred to his discussion in his book about the need for people to have a sense of duty in both big ways, such as military service, and in everyday life, including something as simple as returning the shopping cart to the store instead of abandoning it in the parking lot.
“We also have a duty to live responsibly with our freedom, just as we always do. Put your shopping cart back, wear a mask in close spaces, and don’t touch people so that we can get back to normal life, maintaining the spread of the virus while also getting our economy back up and running,” Crenshaw said.
Breitbart News Daily airs on SiriusXM Patriot from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
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