High fit

Brightness controls whether someone sees the hopeful side or dark side of a situation. For most of the hijacking, Mike Thexton had kept his brightness reasonably high — telling himself people survive hijacks, that he could stay inconspicuous, that things would probably be okay. When he was brought to the front of the plane, that optimism collapsed. But then he found a different kind of brightness: not hope that he'd survive, but a decision about how to face death with dignity. He turned the dial not toward false positivity, but toward a clear-eyed peace.