Michael Scott Moore | Resilience Amidst Captivity By Somali Pirates | Paternity Leave Series

 "I had to detach myself emotionally from the whole cycle.” – Michael Scott Moore"
In this Paternity Leave episode, we get to listen to Jordan Harbinger’s interview with Michael Scott Moore, from his podcast, The Jordan Harbinger Show. Here, Michael shares what he went through and how he survived his 32-month experience as a Somali pirate hostage.
Michael is an American-German novelist and journalist who went to Somalia in 2012 to do his on-location research about pirates, among others. In this trip, he expected to learn about the way of living of the Somalis. Little did he know that this trip would lead to an unforgettable hostage ordeal. He accounts the entire experience in his bestselling memoir, The Desert and the Sea.
You’ll love this episode as Michael shares the experience from captivity, to those times he tried to seek for help, how he tried to escape, and how he was finally set free. Throughout the entire experience, he learned a lot of things, like communicating with his captors, befriending the pirates and captives alike, and most remarkably, how to focus on something else when you are already living without hope.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

* Michael’s experience as a hostage, how he was kidnapped, and how he kept himself sane throughout the entire ordeal
* How Michael communicated with his mother and how he prepared what he was going to say and how he would say it
* How Michael sought for help from the navy, how he tried to jump ship and escape, and how was eventually released
* How and why piracy is still existing and prevalent in other parts of the world
* A little history and background about the Somali pirates

Quotes:
“My mind actually recoiled from what was going on; I actually saw myself in the process of denial.” – Michael Scott Moore

“The first thing I thought was how horrible it was going to be for my family because I didn’t want my own adventures in difficult parts of the world have an effect on my family.” – Michael Scott Moore

“I would wake up, sometimes three times a night, and go, ‘geez, I’m still in Somalia.’ And that was just miserable.” – Michael Scott Moore

“As a hostage, I was sitting on a lot of anger, and it just got worse.” – Michael Scott Moore

“Sometimes I felt murderous, and sometimes I felt suicidal. And so, I had to think about it very carefully.” – Michael Scott Moore

“When I leapt off the boat, I was happy. I had wanted to try to escape for so long, that once I did, I was just gleeful. That was just one of the best swims of my life. And that’s because it was just the most emotionally true thing to do even though it was not the most prudent.” – Michael Scott Moore

“The risk of deep and suicidal depression was very real, so I realized that to save myself from that, I had to detach myself emotionally from the whole cycle.” – Michael Scott Moore

“I managed to live without hope.” – Michael Scott Moore

“I learned to live just from day to day.” – Michael Scott Moore

“I would rather be a hostage under a cautious president than under a reckless one.” – Michael Scott Moore

“I lost a good chunk of my life in Somalia. But the effects on my mental focus were, I think, positive.” – Michael Scott Moore

 
Continue the Adventure
Michael Scott Moore on Instagram

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