Sebastian Junger

The Army might screw you and your girlfriend might dump you and the enemy might kill you, but the shared commitment to safeguard one another's lives is unnegotiable and only deepens with time. The willingness to die for another person is a form of love that even religions fail to inspire, and the experience of it changes a person profoundly.

The question is not whether the war is inherently bad, but whether a particular war is worth fighting.

The tension between wanting to live and wanting to die is an impossible contradiction to live with.

The sense of being part of something greater than the individual self is a source of meaning that cannot be destroyed by even the most terrible suffering.

The experience of war is not uniform, and the nature of the experience can be determined as much by a person's culture, community, and family as by the events themselves.

The intensity of the experience seems to burn away any sense of the future; all there is is the present moment and the immediate task at hand.

The human capacity for burden is like bamboo - far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance.

The sense of shared purpose and commitment is the most powerful defense against existential despair.

The bond that doesn't depend on significant personal gain is the purest form of loyalty.

The idea of a brotherhood - a close, affectionate bond between men - is not unique to combat, but the experience of it in war is uniquely intense.

The close proximity of life and death in combat makes the experience of war feel more authentic and vital than civilian life.

The fear of death can be overwhelmed by the absolute desire to keep a friend alive and safe.