Leaders among these harried over-achievers

[samiaseo222]

Stress was a pick-me-up for Churchill. Without stress he became sluggish and depressed. As a war leader he was in his element. He thrived on risk, action, struggle. Mr. Irving describes this as a type well known to business psychologists: the "harried over achiever" men and women who are addicted to stress and action and who do not function at their best without it. Stress gives him the high, the physiological arousal, that others derive from alcohol, caffeine or nicotine.... are the "Type A" group, men who engage in chronic, continuous struggle against circumstances and against other people. Long before war began, Churchill wanted war. The argument has always been, of course, that he was one of the few people who "saw through Hitler", who was "one of the few who realised that Hitler wanted war" and that war was inevitable if Hitler remained in power. If Churchill was thus prophetic, perhaps it is so because he had recognised in Hitler a kindred spirit.

Hitler's speeches and writings harp on the idea that life is a struggle for survival. Throughout his life he displayed a fascination for war and military campaigns. It was the same with Churchill. But right phone number list though he may have been about Hitler in many ways, Churchill was anxious to hide one important fact, namely that Hitler at no time suggested or even hinted at war with Britain (in marked contrast to Russia). On the contrary, he repeatedly emphasised that he wished to avoid war with Britain.

After the Battle of Britain, "men will say, this was their finest hour" in Churchill's memorable speech, and it was a fine hour for the British airmen and the Polish, French, Irish and other volunteers, who had humbled the arrogant Goering and the over-confident German Luftwaffe, Britain was in a strong position to discuss peace terms with Germany. Bankrupt though she was, her air-force and navy were undefeated, the Commonwealth was behind her, the only "defeat" she would have had certainly to accept was the German territorial claims in the East.