Courage or run? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

BackwoodsmanVA · 12-02-2009, 09:43 PM

Okay,one for us guys.
IF you ever served in the Armed Forces,I thank you,I am a veteran as well,but you also helped provide my freedom!
My question is this IF you were never in combat,since your service days,did you ever wonder if you would have been a standfast fighting man or would you have hidden or ran?
I guess that since I was never faced with this,that is why I have been wondering.
Of course if you or I have actually seen combat we would know the answer.

Plan9 · 12-02-2009, 09:54 PM

pai mei · 12-03-2009, 01:50 AM

Are you brave if you cross the Niagara on a rope ? Or a fool ? Neither. Who cares about what others think. They call you "brave" or "crazy", but it's your life, so nvm them.

Only if you could. So many rules - "to protect" you from yourself. And the one that enforce the rules - would let others die of hunger or sit in the rain. Who cares. But they are good at making rules. At telling other people what to do with their lives.

http://www.rosenoire.org/archives/Hagakure.pdf

Quote:

Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one
should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves,
being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake,
falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day
without fail one should consider himself as dead.
There is a saying of the elders' that goes, "Step from under the eaves and you're a dead man. Leave the gate and the
enemy is waiting." This is not a matter of being careful. It is to consider oneself as dead beforehand.

I don't care about "masters". I respect the samurai - for their courage. It does not matter what they were thinking, for sure they were courageous. No need to call them "fools" or "braves", anyone who crosses the Niagara on a rope, has my respect. Don't care why he does it. It's his life. Very rude - to tell him what to do with it.

kutulu · 12-03-2009, 08:46 AM

There is a huge difference between a daredevil activity and having the courage to fight. Crossing Niagra on a rope is completely unnecessary and exposes nobody else to danger (unless they have to rescue you).

A soldier's situation is different. They are fighting to protect themselves, their fellow soldiers, and the cause they are fighting for.

BackwoodsmanVA · 12-03-2009, 09:22 AM

Pai Mei,
Sir,I did not intend this as iF you should care what others think.
Only about combat as a person in the military,serving to protect our nation.Of course the veterans of WWII come to mind immediately.

pai mei · 12-03-2009, 10:17 AM

Yes I know I was off topic. Have no idea, have not been in the military. The last fight I was in - a long time ago. Maybe I would fight, maybe I would run.

BackwoodsmanVA · 12-03-2009, 08:34 PM

No problem my Friend,last fistfight I was in was 1981,now I just pack a .45 and figure they can start it but they WILL be sorry.

Wes Mantooth · 12-03-2009, 09:48 PM

I've never served in the Military but I have pondered this question many times and I would like to think I would stand my ground and fight, but realistically I don't know. The prospect of having to stand and fight in the face of potential doom is something I simply cant fathom. Unless somebody has been in a situation that required them to make that decision I don't think they could ever really answer truthfully.

Willravel · 12-03-2009, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BackwoodsmanVA

Okay,one for us guys.
IF you ever served in the Armed Forces,I thank you,I am a veteran as well,but you also helped provide my freedom!
My question is this IF you were never in combat,since your service days,did you ever wonder if you would have been a standfast fighting man or would you have hidden or ran?
I guess that since I was never faced with this,that is why I have been wondering.
Of course if you or I have actually seen combat we would know the answer.

I'm going to try and translate this.

Quote:

This is a question for fellow former military personnel:
If you had never joined the military, do you think you would have the gumption to fight should you find yourself in danger? Or would you be more the type to choose to run?

I guess the presumption is that the military training removes the second option before you really get a chance to test it... only that's not always the case. Soldiers are people even with all the deprogramming and programming, and there's still that fear-triggered fight or flight response. Some soldiers fight and some soldiers run. Some soldiers fight in a way that's different than following orders, too.

I'd have washed out of the military.

Plan9 · 12-03-2009, 11:43 PM

For those really interested, I'd recommend reading "On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman.

I have issues with a few parts of it, but it does give you perspective.

Xerxys · 12-09-2009, 08:16 AM

This question has been bugging the crap outta me lately and I have to know, BackwoodsmanVA, if will is right in rephrasing your question.

As someone who has never had any sort of combat training ever ... never fired a gun, been in very few fights in my adult life ... as I think about this I realize the best option would be flight but given my history a while back I'm pretty sure I'd fight.

Plan9 · 12-09-2009, 08:48 AM

You should see me run. I run like an emu.

Seaver · 12-09-2009, 10:14 AM

I was in the military, but never deployed. I've never been tested in such a way, but in all other life tests (cornered and outnumbered by aggressors) I've always held ground.

Avoid but don't run type of personality I guess.

12-02-2009, 09:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
BackwoodsmanVA Upright	Courage or run? Okay,one for us guys. IF you ever served in the Armed Forces,I thank you,I am a veteran as well,but you also helped provide my freedom! My question is this IF you were never in combat,since your service days,did you ever wonder if you would have been a standfast fighting man or would you have hidden or ran? I guess that since I was never faced with this,that is why I have been wondering. Of course if you or I have actually seen combat we would know the answer.

12-02-2009, 09:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	... __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake." Last edited by Plan9; 12-03-2009 at 12:56 AM.. Reason: Whoops!

12-03-2009, 10:17 AM	#6 (permalink)
pai mei Insane	Yes I know I was off topic. Have no idea, have not been in the military. The last fight I was in - a long time ago. Maybe I would fight, maybe I would run. __________________ Blog One day there will be so many houses, that people will be bored and will go live in tents. "Why are you living in tents ? Are there not enough houses ?" "Yes there are, but we play this Economy game"

12-03-2009, 09:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
Wes Mantooth Junkie Location: Tennessee	I've never served in the Military but I have pondered this question many times and I would like to think I would stand my ground and fight, but realistically I don't know. The prospect of having to stand and fight in the face of potential doom is something I simply cant fathom. Unless somebody has been in a situation that required them to make that decision I don't think they could ever really answer truthfully. __________________ “My god I must have missed it...its hell down here!”

12-03-2009, 11:43 PM	#10 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	For those really interested, I'd recommend reading "On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. I have issues with a few parts of it, but it does give you perspective. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

12-03-2009, 08:46 AM	#4 (permalink)
kutulu Junkie	There is a huge difference between a daredevil activity and having the courage to fight. Crossing Niagra on a rope is completely unnecessary and exposes nobody else to danger (unless they have to rescue you). A soldier's situation is different. They are fighting to protect themselves, their fellow soldiers, and the cause they are fighting for.

12-03-2009, 09:22 AM	#5 (permalink)
BackwoodsmanVA Upright	Pai Mei, Sir,I did not intend this as iF you should care what others think. Only about combat as a person in the military,serving to protect our nation.Of course the veterans of WWII come to mind immediately.

12-03-2009, 08:34 PM	#7 (permalink)
BackwoodsmanVA Upright	No problem my Friend,last fistfight I was in was 1981,now I just pack a .45 and figure they can start it but they WILL be sorry.

12-09-2009, 08:16 AM	#11 (permalink)
Xerxys Junkie Location: My head.	This question has been bugging the crap outta me lately and I have to know, BackwoodsmanVA, if will is right in rephrasing your question. As someone who has never had any sort of combat training ever ... never fired a gun, been in very few fights in my adult life ... as I think about this I realize the best option would be flight but given my history a while back I'm pretty sure I'd fight.

12-09-2009, 08:48 AM	#12 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	You should see me run. I run like an emu. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

12-09-2009, 10:14 AM	#13 (permalink)
Seaver Junkie Location: Fort Worth, TX	I was in the military, but never deployed. I've never been tested in such a way, but in all other life tests (cornered and outnumbered by aggressors) I've always held ground. Avoid but don't run type of personality I guess. __________________ "Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas