This article was recently posted by Nate Coffey on Havok
Journal...
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman made an analogy years ago that has
enthralled parts of our population. The idea of sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves as
a simile for various human personality types has been copied and plagiarized,
quoted in veteran websites, and used in t-shirts and movies.
For those unfamiliar with his work, I’ll attempt to
summarize; A vast majority of the population consists of sheep-like people.
They are useful and productive, but either ignorant of violence or in a fearful
denial of it. These are the individuals who go about their daily lives
producing and consuming, but always assuming that there will never be violence
done to them.
The wolf is the predator, who exists
to hunt the sheep. He is amoral, a lover of violence, and will “feed on the
sheep without mercy.” These people are rare, and usually compared to Al
Qaeda-type terrorists, hardened criminals, or anyone who preys on those weaker
than him. They are unconstrained by their society and it’s rules.
The sheepdog has the same weapons and capacity for violence
as the wolf, but with a moral code. His desire to protect his fellow citizens
binds his violent nature, and focuses it to be almost completely defensive.
These are said to be our policemen and soldiers because they are willing to
kill, but only in order to protect the sheep.
Wait. Soldiers? Really? How in Posiedon’s salty bunghole are
soldiers sheepdogs?
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