Short; built atop a Vanity Fair article; thought it might be of interest as I try to be more thoughtful about group or tribe behavior. Author served as a correspondent from several war zones - not military, but constantly around military and in combat areas. PTSD.
Main thesis - he observes the closeness of soldiers - or even civilians in war zones (Sarajevo) - then he provides some historical examples (London during the Blitz) - the connectedness, how many feel these were the best times of their lives notwithstanding the horrible parts. Suicide rates drop in these horrible situations, etc. Then he focuses on evolution - thinking back over millennia - where humans evolved in small bands regularly dealing with common threats, again close connectedness - this is the normal, this is how we're wired. Then he focuses on the atomization of modern society - wealthy sure, but loss of connectedness. Examples like 9/11 - where there was a short-term sense of connection - but quickly dissipates.
Most of us will never be called upon to protect ourselves or our loved ones or our communities against an actual imminent threat - everything outsourced to military and police. A good approach but author points out the immense change from the environment in which we evolved. Discourages connectedness.
None of this is new, but he has an interesting and useful perspective. We're not going back in time, so we need to consider how better to connect, and how to be more patient with the frustrations experienced by the disconnected.
He compares the experiences of WWII vets to the current crop - much dislikes "thank you for your service" platitudes, recognition at sporting events - he feels vets want to be re-integrated (especially in the job market), not to have their separateness emphasized.
No comments:
Post a Comment