Moral Courage with Diane Foley, mother of executed journalist James Foley

A Bit of Optimism

The Optimism Company from Simon Sinek

Self-improvement, Careers, Business, Management, Education

4.8 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 11 June 2024

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Seven years after ISIS killed her son, Diane Foley met with one of his killers. Somehow, she was able to find the humanity in her son's murderer.

ISIS held journalist James Foley hostage for 2 years before publicly executing him in 2014, when they uploaded a YouTube video of James's beheading. After her son's murder, Diane Foley started The Foley Foundation, working to free American hostages held abroad, teach journalist safety, and inspire people to act with moral courage.

I asked Diane how she found the moral courage to meet ISIS terrorist Alexanda Kotey and see him as a human being. If Diane could find the grace to connect with her son's murderer, the rest of us can find the moral courage to see the good in those with whom we so vehemently disagree.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Diane and her work, check out:

her book American Mother

The Foley Foundation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	If someone did the unthinkable, killed your brother,
0:02.8	killed your son, would you have the moral courage
0:06.3	to find the humanity in their killer?
0:09.2	Stay tuned.
0:10.8	Hey there, I'm Dr. Maya Schunker and I'm a scientist who studies human behavior.
0:17.0	Many of us have experienced a moment in our lives that changes everything, a moment that instantly divides our life into a before and an after.
0:26.0	On my podcast, a slight change of plans, I talk to people about navigating these very moments.
0:32.0	The last couple of years has been the hardest season of America. about navigating these very moments.
0:32.6	The last couple of years has been the hardest season of our marriage,
0:35.2	for sure.
0:36.5	I'm surprised our marriage survived it.
0:37.8	I think we both are.
0:39.0	I think we both were barely holding on.
0:42.9	Nothing compares to how hard this is.
0:45.2	Their stories are full of candor, awe, and hard-won wisdom.
0:48.9	And you'll hear from scientists who teach us
0:51.0	how we can be more resilient in the face of change.
0:54.0	True behavior change is really identity change.
0:58.0	Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
1:02.0	Listen to a slight change of plans on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
1:07.4	podcast.
1:08.4	When the Taliban banned music in Afghanistan, millions were plunged into silence.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Optimism Company from Simon Sinek, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Optimism Company from Simon Sinek and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.