Introduction
25 Years After Serving in the Military
Military Prepared Me for My Future and the Future of Life in America
How to Live Through
And Be Productive with
Social Distress
- Lack of Privacy
- No Respect
- No Power
- No Rights
- Lose Lose Situations
- Few to No Options
- Disasters
Cultural Distress
- Different and Hostile Culture
- Bureaucracy
- Invasive and Irrational Rules
- Misunderstandings
- Explanations Irrelevant
- No One Cares about You
Emotional Distress
- Negativity
- Failure
- Isolation
- Paranoia
- Depression
- Exhaustion and Lack of Sleep
- When God is Silent
How to Survive
Specific Behavioral
- Follow Rules
- Be Persistent
- Be Self -Motivated
- Be Detail Oriented
- Be a Team Player
- Trust No One
- Be Creative in Problem Solving
- Do Not Volunteer for Things
- Be Careful What You Commit Yourself To
Behavioral / Philosophical
- Take Life Seriously
- Appreciate Simple Things in Life
- Always Learn New Things
- Continually Improve
Personal Cognitive
- People are Not Rational
- Emotions are Important
- How Bad People Are
- How Real God is
- Things Can Always Get Worse
Institutional Cognitive
- How Government Thinks
- America is Not Like the Rest of the World
- Importance of Human Rights
Cognitive / Philosophical
- I am No Better than Anyone Else
- Argument is Futile
- What is Funny and What is Not
Conclusion
The Army was overall a negative experience, but the training was very useful later in life, for difficult times and situations.
The problem is that you can lose your mind or get burned alive, which are both more common than most people think.
The people in the military are great, while the mission is unthinkable, which makes military life very difficult for highly sensitive people.
The Army does do emotionally testing of its soldiers. This is called Basic Training.