Sebastian Junger Knows Why Young Men Go to War
War is hell, the cliche says,
yet a lot of people are still drawn to it. Why would so many young men
risk their lives? Junger thinks it comes down to biology and rites of
passage.
“Young
men go to war for the same reason that young boys play war,” he
explains. “War is an extremely compelling endeavor for a lot of young
men.”
What’s arguably more
important, however, is that men bond extremely well together when
subjected to the stress of combat. They “have an extremely strong
affiliating response to each other,” he says.
When
young men in America turn 18, they suddenly find themselves in the
adult world with little direction. Some go to college, some find
full-time work and others join the military.
“I think there’s a lot of cultural reinforcement,” Junger adds. “You know, you’re not a man until you’ve done something really difficult? And war is very difficult.”
War
gives young males a chance to find a peer group and purpose to their
lives.
That’s important in a society where a lot of young men don’t have
either.
“I
think this is probably the first society in history that actively
discourages an intelligent conversation about what manhood should
require of men,” Junger tells me. “Simultaneously, our society is asking
adult males to be men,” he continues.
But
what’s a man, anyway? “[Society should] help define it. So that I can
achieve it. So that I can know when I’ve crossed the finish line. And
then everyone shrugs their shoulders and says, ‘You know, it’s actually
not polite to talk about it like that.’ It’s really confusing to young
men.”
“One way to do it,” Junger explains. “Is to join the Army. It’s in there, in the male brain—‘Okay, if I go to war, surely I’ll come back a man.’’
When
he asked soldiers in Afghanistan about their reasons for joining, it
was a common response. “Some said, ‘I joined the Army because of 9/11.
We were attacked and we have to defend ourselves,’” Junger says.
“Some
of them were just straight up, ‘My father fought in Vietnam, my
grandfather was in D-Day … I don’t wanna break that lineage of men in my
family fighting.’”
“And some guys are a little more thoughtful,” he adds. “‘Well, I sorta thought it might make a man out of me.’”
Comment by firdaus-9898.blogspot.com/beyondthispunkt.tumblr.com
I guess that's the reason why I stick with this construction industry.
Even though it's sickening and hateful sometimes.
Even though I sometimes wondering if I'm being paid enough.
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Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) was a Lebanese poet, artist and is one of the most-beloved writers ever, thanks to his famous book The Prophet.
Published in 1923, the book is a collection of 26 poems delivered as
sermons by a Prophet who is leaving a city to return home. Before
leaving, the people of the city ask him to share his thoughts about
life’s big questions such as love, marriage, children, pain and freedom.
The quote used in this comic is taken from chapter 7, about work.
The Prophet is one of the most successful books of all-time,
having sold over 100 million copies. Apparently in the United States,
it is second only to the Bible in numbers sold. Gibran’s beautifully
hypnotic poetry has influenced the likes of John Kennedy, Indira Gandhi and John Lennon.
You can read The Prophet for free at Project Gutenberg Australia.