The Downsized Self
This chapter discusses camaraderie, empathy, and respect. It looks at camaraderie as a critical element in combat courage and resilience, and as essential to psychological recovery in the aftermath of war. Here Stoicism is extremely illuminating, with clear lessons about the roles of respect and empathy necessary for building a sense of humanity and global community. This chapter examines many expressions of human fellowship central to the military, from the camaraderie and twinship of war buddies to the therapeutic bond between shell shock patient and psychiatrist, and to notions of ourselves as citizens of the world who share in reason. Diogenes the Cynic's ideal of a cosmopolitan community remains an ideal toward which the international community is only slowly making progress. And yet each of us, civilian, or soldier, as citizen of the world, must do his or her part to realize the ideal.
Keywords: camaraderie, empathy, respect, courage, resilience, humanity, global community, human fellowship, Diogenes the Cynic, cosmopolitan community
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