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Read an article in DISCOVER magazine "Why Men Kill" By Marg Roach. An anthropologist, John J. Patton, has been studying the Achuar Indians of Ecuador. They have, by one count, the highest murder rate in the world. War and fighting are inbred into them. One part I found interesting was their definition of warriorship:

"The Achuar concept of warriorship encompasses not only strategy and skill but also valour, willingness, and lack of hesitation. As Patton puts it, 'There's a big difference between hitting the target and hitting the target when the target is trying to hit you.' Wisdom also plays a part. 'In talking to people about this, one of the things that kept coming up was that a good warrior was mas pensativo -- he's more thoughtful.' A good warrior knows when to fight and when not to, whom to pick on and whom not to."

Rick

Hello Rick.

This month's issue?

Allen

Perhaps we could say then that having the quality of más pensativo could separate the real warriors from the wannabes...

Allen:

The December 1998 issue yes.

Rick

Más pensativo

The ways in which warriors view themselves as special are as varied as the cultures that have bred warriors. One of the most common elements of warriorship is the adherence to a strict moral code. History shows a variety of reasons for this.
1. To protect the society they serve from them: an a-moral and undisciplined army is dangerous to have around. Examples of armies that were more dangerous to the society that formed them than any enemy abound. In the declining years of the Roman Empire the Praetorian Guard, founded to protect the Emperor and thereby prevent the destabilization of the society through assassination were responsible for the murder of several emperors themselves.
2. Keeping warfare "elite" and therefor attractive. Warfare prior to the mid 19th century was an expensive business both for the individuals who equipped themselves for war and for the population who supported this caste of otherwise unproductive people. The esteem of his society may be the only real remuneration a warrior gets for his sacrifices.
Witness the decline in enlistment in the years following Viet Nam.

Like all military traditions that stand the test of time the concept of warriorship was and is a practical ingredient for a soldier and the society that supports him / her.

check out Barbara' Ehrenreich's latest book "Blood Rites" , in which she spells out a very interesting theory about the attraction of war and fighting.