From the author of THE PERFECT STORM and WAR comes a book about why men miss war, why Londoners missed the Blitz, and what we can all learn from American Indian captives who refused to go home.
Tribe is a look at post-traumatic stress disorder and the challenges veterans face returning to society. Using his background in anthropology, Sebastian Junger argues that the problem lies not with vets or with the trauma they've suffered, but with the society to which they are trying to return.
One of the most puzzling things about veterans who experience PTSD is that the majority never even saw combat-and yet they feel deeply alienated and out of place back home. The reason may lie in our natural inclination, as a species, to live in groups of thirty to fifty people who are entirely reliant on one another for safety, comfort and a sense of meaning: in short, the life of a soldier.
It is one of the ironies of the modern age that as affluence rises in a society, so do rates of suicide, depression and of course PTSD. In a wealthy society people don't need to cooperate with one another, so they often lead much lonelier lives that lead to psychological distress. There is a way for modern society to reverse this trend, however, and studying how veterans react to coming home may provide a clue to how to do it. But it won't be easy.
Tribe is a look at post-traumatic stress disorder and the challenges veterans face returning to society. Using his background in anthropology, Sebastian Junger argues that the problem lies not with vets or with the trauma they've suffered, but with the society to which they are trying to return.
One of the most puzzling things about veterans who experience PTSD is that the majority never even saw combat-and yet they feel deeply alienated and out of place back home. The reason may lie in our natural inclination, as a species, to live in groups of thirty to fifty people who are entirely reliant on one another for safety, comfort and a sense of meaning: in short, the life of a soldier.
It is one of the ironies of the modern age that as affluence rises in a society, so do rates of suicide, depression and of course PTSD. In a wealthy society people don't need to cooperate with one another, so they often lead much lonelier lives that lead to psychological distress. There is a way for modern society to reverse this trend, however, and studying how veterans react to coming home may provide a clue to how to do it. But it won't be easy.
Der preisgekrönte und international bekannte Journalist und Buchautor Sebastian Junger ("Der Sturm", "War - Ein Jahr im Krieg") hat einen Artikel über posttraumatische Belastungsstörungen, den er für "Vanity Fair" schrieb, zu einem Traktat über den Verlust des Gemeinschaftsgefühls, über die Vorzüge der indianischen Lebensweise und über den falschen Umgang der Amerikaner mit ihre Kriegsheimkehrern ausgebaut. Das hätte er mal lieber nicht getan: Alle Scharniere von "Tribe" knirschen, und auch argumentativ hapert es hier und da gewaltig. Selbst aus der Sorglosigkeit und Langeweile der Mittelklasse kommend, hat Junger früh bemerkt: "Die moderne Gesellschaft hat die Kunst perfektioniert, den Menschen das Gefühl der Nutzlosigkeit zu geben. Es ist an der Zeit, dem ein Ende zu setzen." Und sogleich ist er mitten in der Verherrlichung der steinzeitlichen Stammeslebensweise und dem Lobpreis bedingungsloser soldatischer Opferbereitschaft. Armut macht bei Junger glücklich, wirklich Arme werden sich bedanken für diesen Sozialkitsch. Er glorifiziert das durch Fakten nicht gedeckte Bild der friedlich und gleichberechtigt lebenden amerikanischen Ureinwohner, er lobt die Disziplin der Engländer in den Bunkern des Blitzkriegs. Überall schimmert die Sehnsucht nach einer Welt durch, die es so nie gab. Immerhin hat Junger seinen Landsleuten einen Denkanstoß gegeben, dass sie besser mit ihren Veteranen umgehen sollten: Diese würden als Opfer aussortiert, eine Rückkehr in ein geregeltes Leben ist nicht vorgesehen. Und so stellten sich die meisten die Frage, warum sie für so eine Gesellschaft den Kopf hingehalten haben.
hhm.
Sebastian Junger: "Tribe". Das verlorene Wissen um Gemeinschaft und Menschlichkeit. A. d. Englischen von Teja Schwaner. Blessing Verlag, München 2017. 192 S., geb., 19,99 [Euro].
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'A brilliant little book driven by a powerful idea and series of reflections ... I would give this gem of an essay to anyone embarking on the understanding of human society and governance' Evening Standard
'An eloquent and thought-provoking book ... it could help us to think more deeply about how to help men and woman battered by war to find new purpose in peace' The Times
'Fascinating, insightful and built on real and difficult experiences as well as a background in anthropology' Sunday Times
'An electrifying tapestry of history, anthropology, psychology and memoir that punctures the stereotype of the veteran as a war-damaged victim in need of salvation. Rather than asking how we can save our returning servicemen and women, Junger challenges us to take a hard look in the mirror and ask whether we can save ourselves ... Tribe is a stirring clarion call for a return to solidarity. In advocating a public, shared confrontation with the psychic scars of war, Junger aims to stop trauma burning a hole through individual veterans. Such a collective catharsis might also be our best hope of healing the wounds modern society has inflicted on itself' Guardian
'Junger is particularly insightful when he is discussing combat soldiers and the difficulties they experience when returning from war zones ... Junger is correct to draw attention to the major faultlines in affluent societies, including the dismantling of a sense of community. A growing proportion of people are suffering from clinical depression, anxiety and chronic loneliness. He rightly observes that wealth is not the route to happiness. Being loved and giving love are fundamental to human happiness and health' Observer
'A small, but convincingly argued, book ... a good starting point for rethinking the way we live our troubled modern lives' Daily Mail
'Lucid and engaging' TLS
'An eloquent and thought-provoking book ... it could help us to think more deeply about how to help men and woman battered by war to find new purpose in peace' The Times
'Fascinating, insightful and built on real and difficult experiences as well as a background in anthropology' Sunday Times
'An electrifying tapestry of history, anthropology, psychology and memoir that punctures the stereotype of the veteran as a war-damaged victim in need of salvation. Rather than asking how we can save our returning servicemen and women, Junger challenges us to take a hard look in the mirror and ask whether we can save ourselves ... Tribe is a stirring clarion call for a return to solidarity. In advocating a public, shared confrontation with the psychic scars of war, Junger aims to stop trauma burning a hole through individual veterans. Such a collective catharsis might also be our best hope of healing the wounds modern society has inflicted on itself' Guardian
'Junger is particularly insightful when he is discussing combat soldiers and the difficulties they experience when returning from war zones ... Junger is correct to draw attention to the major faultlines in affluent societies, including the dismantling of a sense of community. A growing proportion of people are suffering from clinical depression, anxiety and chronic loneliness. He rightly observes that wealth is not the route to happiness. Being loved and giving love are fundamental to human happiness and health' Observer
'A small, but convincingly argued, book ... a good starting point for rethinking the way we live our troubled modern lives' Daily Mail
'Lucid and engaging' TLS