A Quiet Hero with Great Understanding
We all know the names of men and women who are widely recognized as heroes by the world or by their respective countries: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther, Simon Bolivar, and more. But nobody knows the humble name of Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov (1939 – 2017), who was a lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Defense Forces
On 26 September 1983, Petrov was the duty officer at the command center for the Oko nuclear early-warning system, which was the organization intended to detect ballistic missile attacks from NATO countries. The system reported that six missiles had been launched from the United States, and protocol dictated that Petrov report this to his military superiors.
This alarm happened only three weeks after the Soviet military had shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007, so East-West tensions were high, and upon receiving Petrov’s report—with only minutes to make a decision—it was likely that the Soviets would have ordered a nuclear counter-strike.
But Petrov, influenced by his experience as an engineer and his training in geopolitics, instinctively judged the alarm to be false, so he did not report the supposed launch.
Years later, as this incident came to public light, many Cold War nuclear experts declared that Petrov may well have prevented a large-scale nuclear war, thereby saving more lives than any man who ever lived.
He made a rational choice, instead of just reacting with fear and being controlled by a protocol. Investigation later confirmed that the Soviet satellite warning system had indeed malfunctioned.
Petrov’s heroism was unheralded because the incident revealed defects in the missile detection system that would have embarrassed his superiors and the scientists who were responsible for it.
Understanding Bad Behavior
Almost every day, parents have opportunities to be such quiet heroes. Our children often behave in ways that seem like missile launches, but if we properly understand what is happening with them, we can love and teach them instead of launching retaliatory strikes that could end in greatly escalated conflicts.
Children who behave badly are in pain from a lack of Real Love. They are either getting attention or protecting themselves from perceived threats. They need our love and our guidance.
As you participate in the Parenting Training, and as you read, watch, and listen to the support materials you receive each week, you will grow in your ability understand their bad behavior and to give them what they need.
