Not Optimized

He was described as “Short and scrawny,” abandoned by his parents, rejected by the Marines for being “too small.”

If you had a computer run calculations on which U.S. soldier was most likely to have the military career Audie had, the last one on the list would be a 5'5" orphan from a nowhere-town in Texas.

Audie Murphy, on paper, was the last person you would expect to be the most decorated soldier of WWII. He was the last person you would call on to hold off an enemy company all on his own, even while wounded.

This is because computers can't analyze character and grit. Courage isn't something you can just break down into 1s and 0s.

Computers can't analyze character and grit. Courage isn't something you can just break down into 1s and 0s.

Audie was the perfect example of a simple truth:

When you're looking for the best person for the job, look at their skills, yes. But don't forget to look at the person's character. Character is the factor that can take someone from “not optimized” all the way to “legendary.”