Warrior Ethos

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I gotta say, I'm thoroughly intrigued... I'm may just have a read myself.
Books, internet postings, speeches... Whatever... Ya always gotta pick and choose what applies to you. That's one of the things that separates a thinking man from a lemming.
 
At the point of violence, nothing else matters. There is no civilization and LE ain't there. It is just you and them. Bad news is someone will likely be seriously injured or killed. Good news is you get a vote in who that person is...if you choose to exercise it without remorse or hesitation.

Before the point of violence, yeah civilized society, avoidance and all that.

After the point of violence, civilized society and the legal system.

A warrior's mindset could be pretty damn handy for those few seconds in between the "civilization" though...






*I know I shouldn't have to say it but all of the above assumes a lawful self-defense situation of you or an innocent 3rd party that was not reasonably avoidable and not instigated or escalated by you.
 
The hard fact is we aren't all wired the same. Someone who has not been in such a situation can in no way reliably state "what I would/will do". In fact, many who HAVE been in these situations can't even make such a statement with any reliability- no 2 fights are the same. I have also found that if you start to choreograph in your mind the way a fight will go (any fight) you will almost always be disappointed- they seldom follow your script. And I will say that I have seen both unlikely heroes as well as unlikely cowards.
 
FL-NC said:
The hard fact is we aren't all wired the same. Someone who has not been in such a situation can in no way reliably state "what I would/will do". In fact, many who HAVE been in these situations can't even make such a statement with any reliability- no 2 fights are the same. I have also found that if you start to choreograph in your mind the way a fight will go (any fight) you will almost always be disappointed- they seldom follow your script. And I will say that I have seen both unlikely heroes as well as unlikely cowards.
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100% concur with all. As well as with Strambo's post above. Once witnessed my unit's resident dirtbag, an E-2 pending adsep due to a positive UA, perform an incredibly heroic act around the same time one of our (previously) highly-respected E-7s crapped his pants and lost it during a critical moment. One man had the will and the mindset, the other had not ...
 
I failed to get that point across to our mods on here.
However I’m not surprised. You can train your whole life for something, but when it comes down to it, the situation, the actions and the outcome will be what they will be.
The reluctance of flexibility in a fight, no matter where or in what capacity will be a major limitation. It’s one of those things you learn with experience, if the experience doesn’t kill you first.
At which point the second experience will be less likely then the unlikely first experience
 
Klint Beastwood said:
You can train your whole life for something, but when it comes down to it, the situation, the actions and the outcome will be what they will be.
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Certainly true.

Klint Beastwood said:
The reluctance of flexibility in a fight, no matter where or in what capacity will be a major limitation.
Click to expand...
Also true.

Klint Beastwood said:
It’s one of those things you learn with experience, if the experience doesn’t kill you first.
Click to expand...
It is highly unlikely that anyone will gain very much real experience in a civilian environment these days. Just like air combat. We have to rely on training and simulation.
 
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Kleanbore said:
Certainly true.

It is highly unlikely that anyone will gain very much real experience in a civilian environment these days. Just like air combat. We have to rely on training and simulation.
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Hence why I was giving supplemtary information, and agreeing with others that you cannot just rely on running away as a primary means of exiting, based on my own extensive experiences and probably more thorough training.

Other than that, most of the bickering has nothing to do with the book. The sample page is just talking about one particular warrior culture, we are not living in a spartan age anymore, so running around with spears, swords and shields is not really applicable, nor is a military state. As others said, take what you will from parts, but really it’s a history/philosophy lesson into warriors culture, and warrior mindsets through different periods.

On a separate note, like FL-NC said, I find getting shot or things similar to such embarrassing too. It’s the kind of mindset that makes us really LEARN from an experience, and take responsibility for your part in it and that kind of self-shame can check ego and drive people to be better, on a more extreme level. Although maybe not applicatable to the average joe in the exact context, the mentality can still be adapted to training. Not so much different than team sports.
 
Even within the context of lawful self defense, some might say that its better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. People can debate the semantics of armed conflict in one venue vs another but I honestly don't think it much matters. Armed conflict is armed conflict and if it cannot be avoided, its simply a situation that I ultimately want to make it through with as little damage as possible. I do not think that romanticizing the process does anyone any favors. I feel confident that a person can adopt a warrior mindset and still act within the confines of what is prudent and also lawful. As others have already said, a person had better have their head on right.

Beast has made some good points all around.
 
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At the individual level, yes. I was equating recon as the 'eyes and ears' of a higher headquarters; Regiment, Brigade, Division. Your situational awareness is your own physical eyes and ears, as well as that 'hunch' that something is hinky....
Both are used in one sense for the same reason: Not to be taken unawares.
Before it is said, yes, recon in military sense is use offensively too, whereas it isn't by the law-abiding CCW. But it is still 'recon' (situational awareness) noticing the setup for an 'interview' before the attack.
 
entropy said:
At the individual level, yes. I was equating recon as the 'eyes and ears' of a higher headquarters; Regiment, Brigade, Division. Your situational awareness is your own physical eyes and ears, as well as that 'hunch' that something is hinky....
Both are used in one sense for the same reason: Not to be taken unawares.
Before it is said, yes, recon in military sense is use offensively too, whereas it isn't by the law-abiding CCW. But it is still 'recon' (situational awareness) noticing the setup for an 'interview' before the attack.
Click to expand...

I believe you are conflating several things in error .
 
I'm with Water Garden, Recon is different from Situational Awareness (SA), even though Recon can add to SA. SA is real-time, Recon is an effort to confirm or deny information about a target or objective for a follow on operation.

If you are seeing a criminal set-up in real time that isn't recon, that is just observation and SA. Recon would be visiting the area in advance of bringing your family there later, or sending an associate ahead of you to report back, or even digital recon to include imagery and crime statistics etc. or a drone...

In the military, a reconnaissance is one way we attempt to turn "assumptions" into "facts" before an operation. If you are within observation of the enemy (you see them and they see you), it ain't recon, it is an unfolding situation of move/counter move in real-time.
 
strambo said:
At the point of violence, nothing else matters.
Good news is you get a vote in who that person is...if you choose to exercise it without remorse or hesitation.
A warrior's mindset could be pretty damn handy for those few seconds in between the "civilization" though...
*I know I shouldn't have to say it but all of the above assumes a lawful self-defense situation of you or an innocent 3rd party that was not reasonably avoidable and not instigated or escalated by you.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Fantastic reply and thank you to Klint Beastwood for the op and perspective.
We all have choices to make. It is not up to others to judge or criticize any of us for those decisions we alone are responsible for and what life has thrown at us to lead us to those thoughts and feelings.
I will be ordering the book later this morning, I feel I am intelligent enough human to apply lessons learned from societies and times different from ours today and reasonably apply them (or not) to my life today as I find necessary. Knowledge is one of our most powerful tools and I hope to never stop learning or at the very least be open to new thoughts and ideas.
 
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