Book Review: Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging By Sebastian Junger
Sebastian Junger is a war journalist and author of "The Perfect Storm."
In "Tribe" Sebastian reflects on his experiences as a war journalist in Afghanistan, and more poignantly on experiencing a brief stint of PTSD after coming back home. I love the way he broke down the natural response our body undergoes during a traumatic experience. It does make sense, from an evolutionary stand point, that we would have a heightened fear of circumstances we can not control, feelings of anger so we could react quickly and decisively if more danger is upon us, and feelings of depression so we don't waste our energy in case we need it for the next emergency.
The heart of this book isn't about PTSD, although he documents some fascinating information about Veterans relationship with the disorder that really changed my perspective on the subject. The core of this book is really about the feeling of belonging one feels in a military unit and how we are missing that in modern day society.
He sites the many well documented accounts of white men running away to join Native American tribes, versus the very few cases where Native Americans joined the early white settlers, an proposes the question why? There must be something missing from our culture when those exposed to both, overwhelming chose the more primitive tribal lifestyle. The big difference is loyalty to the group. For all the flaws of Native American culture, their values of loyalty to the tribe and courage to protect the tribe, created a feeling of solidarity we all desire.
One of the reasons, so many men are drawn towards war, and many soldiers miss the war when they come back home, is because the chaotic nature of war forces those involved to create stronger bonds then we could ever imagine at the office.
The personal question I was left with after consuming Mr. Junger's informative reflection on our hunger for belonging is, how can I use this knowledge to empower my life path?
As an only child, growing up with a busy single mother, I developed a lone wolf mentality. A mentality that often left me feeling isolated and alone growing up. On the positive side, it made me a more insightful person because I was often alone with my thoughts. However, I do wish to cultivate a better relationship with my community both online, and in real life.
As my girlfriend and I prepare to move to a new apartment, one of the considerations I'd like to make is, will this new place bring me closer to my community?
What steps can we take to become a more united force here on Steemit?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on unity!