I think human society for tens of thousands of years has sent young men out in small groups to do things that are necessary but very dangerous. And they've always gotten killed doing it. And they've always turned it into a matter of honor and a way of gaining acceptance back into society if they survived.
Sebastian JungerI'm a good liberal, and I grew up in a very liberal family and had very strongly held beliefs.
Sebastian JungerI think objectivity is like this strange myth that people think you're supposed to achieve, but actually, the dirty little secret is that it's not attainable any more than pure justice is attainable by the courts.
Sebastian JungerA grenade launcher will easily take out a tank; a Molotov cocktail placed in its air intake will destroy one as well.
Sebastian JungerRight now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides pay taxes. We don't even have to vote. But as psychologists will tell you, when you have to sacrifice for something, you value it more. What about national service for young people? Everybody between 18 and 24 could spend a year or two working for this country in some capacity. It'd be an amazing thing. And it would mix this country racially, culturally, economically.
Sebastian JungerI’ve stopped war reporting. I realized that I’d answered all of my questions about war and about myself.
Sebastian JungerThe negative effects of combat were nightmares, and I'd get jumpy around certain noises and stuff, but you'd have that after a car accident or a bad divorce. Life's filled with trauma. You don't need to go to war to find it it's going to find you. We all deal with it, and the effects go away after awhile. At least they did for me.
Sebastian Junger