SFA capability is rooted in Individual Talent (part 1)

[Ken White]

In the West, we tend to "understand human nature" by assertion, rather than by personal experience. This means that a "professional" group will assert a worldview and then look for supporting evidence. This group also controls the definition of what is and is not "true", as well as setting up all of the testing mechanisms for defining a level of skill. Basically, the game is totally rigged against anyone who is outside of the group and, especially, against anyone who disagrees with that groups assertions about "reality". BW's story just hammers home that point in a way .

Now, being a via negativa type of a scientist, I tend to think that that system is bunk; a system designed to inflate the egos of people who cannot stand to deal with reality.

I think this concept is borne out by the stories above. I'm living proof, I discovered long ago that people who did not behave as I wanted them to were just terribly annoying.

Fortunately, at about ten years of service (Not a Major -- but I think the time, age and 'experience' factors are very relevant...) I was in a position to change that for subordinates, improve my peers and properly channel the thinking of my superiors and those with whom I might interface. So, I proceeded to do those things.

More fortunately, after only a year or so, I realized just how wrong I was (Lord knows how much damage I did even in that short time...).

That's a cautionary. Great and illuminating tale, Bob's World. That's another cautionary. Your hero's attitude is entirely too common and, unfortunately, vestiges of it seem to always slip into the upper echelons and thus make our relationships with other nations and forces far more rocky than they need to be.

Stan, of course is correct:

"And to echo Tom and Mike It's not a rank or MOS thing and never was."

Oh, BTW Marc. What's wrong with this?

"...one of the points he made was that lazyness (aka Sloth) was a Cardinal Virtue (from an evolutionary standpoint) if (and only if) it did not lead to punishments that exceeded the rewards to be garnered."

Been my philosophy for years.

Also a good philosophy for he or she who would Advise forces from other cultures...