Natural selection is a process that kills the weak. It’s nature’s way to create the most powerful species. In war, we can see natural selection play out as thousands upon thousands of soldiers are killed each day and only the strong survive. Thousands of soldiers die but still some remain alive. Why? What’s the difference between the soldier who died and the soldier who survived? What makes a weak soldier weak and a strong soldier strong?

“What kind of mentality is it that keeps a soldier alive at war?”

To answer this question, you have to understand what exactly you lose at war. What’s the most precious thing you own? Is it your physical health? Or maybe is it your sanity? I think it’s the ladder. The fights you take at war force you to use your most animalistic instincts. If you won’t kill, you get killed. If you don’t take the shot, your enemy will. Nobody wants to kill and soldiers only kill as a means to survive. This process where you end someone’s life to save yours takes a toll on your mind. However, if you can forget these experiences you won’t get hurt. Being numb to these traumatic experiences is what protects you. Shielding yourself from these nightmares by being stoic and senseless keeps you alive. It keeps you calm and rational as you abandon your trivial values like camaraderie. You’re going to have to be willing to do anything so long as you will survive.