So I am someone who spends most of the time in my room on the computer or playing video games. So basically I know nothing about the real world.
I don't understand war, what causes humans to fight. I read in the history books about people fighting, killing each other in droves, for some pieces or land or because of an ideological difference. I don't get it. What motivates someone to give their LIFE for something like that? To give their LIFE fighting for what is usually the leader's benefit?
I seriously don't get war...Like, what's the point? I know I sound like a naive idiot, and I probably am. I guess I'm lacking a certain motivation/ambition personality trait that makes me want to fight for something.
because jews
origami
Even though i only fought against a bunch of sand monkeys, nothing makes you feel more alive than being in combat.
>>29990954
>I'm going to attack you for x, y, z, and secret w reason
>I'm going to retaliate
That's the most common reason
You wouldn't understand, you are underage.
>>29991023
The only person who would ever type something like this is an underage b& who only knows about war and combat from too much video games and movies.
>>29990954
Have you ever starved before?
Maybe I'm just projecting, but I've been living on $3 for the past 2 weeks and I've eaten nothing but rice. I'm ready to kill someone purely for the meat on their body. If they had food, I'd kill them for that food. I'm so desperate right now that I would rip them apart with my teeth. I can easily see that someone would be willing to join a cause if it meant more food for them and the people they love.
>>29990954
I am in the military, there is no individual benefit with the anticipation of death. Most dont expect to die however counter intuitive it seems. It is also an industry now.
>>29990954
Our leaders don't want conventional wars anymore. Mostly because of nuclear deterrence. So they're not pushing the proper mindset for it to their citizens anymore. There used to be a lot of nationalism and people would believe that the source of their problems were due to the struggles with some other nations (not completely false, but it doesn't have to be this way). And national services put it into the head of people that they had to prove themselves to be worthy of their citizenship; it could be a rite of passage (and this isn't ALL bad). A lot of young men have a bloodlust or a death wish too.
It's pretty fascinating desu.
We're animals however, and you see it in almost every other animal species. The males go off to fight for resources, land, and mates. Simplified further, it's just ensuring your bloodline or, for the more social, your tribe survives. We're reproductive organisms, so we like to ensure we keep on reproducing right? There's that tale of Rome being founded from plundering and taking away the Sabine women, just to keep their tribe from disappearing.
Above that human nature and abstract ideas get involved, like power and religion, but it still ties into securing resources and power for yourself or something you belong to in some way.
>>29990954
The reason for most things that make so sense is that most people are stupid.
I think a big part of it stems from the need to compete with one another. War is greatest form of competition.
>>29990954
which one do you not understand?
1. The reasons that pushes people to risk their life fighting against other people in the same situation, on the field?
or
2. The reason why people decide to send other people on the line to die for some greater benefit for the people amongst whom those fighters are picked?
For the first, I'd guess it is a tossup between a guarantee of living a shitty life or risking that shitty life at a chance of glory. In the past, the "guaranteed shitty life" mostly depended on wether or not you could sustain yourself (and eventually your family or future family). So it was between "do I die now of hunger or put myself in a situation where I might die, but guarantee income to eat". Today, it could also come from a lack of direction in life ("my life is worthless, might as well give it to someone that can make it useful/glorious/whichever you're looking for").
Although, as I said, that would only be my guess.
For the second it's easy to figure out, just play some strategy/economy-sim games and it becomes obvious. Amongst those would be the Civilisation series, paradox games (Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Victoria, Hearts of Iron, though beware of their endless DLC policy, get on sale or through other means), total war games (all those as the more mainstream examples, vg/gsg has a more complete list of this kind of games). If you've been playing any of these games and still didn't get point 2, I'm sorry to inform you you've been sucking at those games.
>>29991121
Nationalism is a modern invention dumbass. Yeah in-group/out-group thinking is one thing that made people fight but it doesn't really account for war in general.
>>29991361
I was thinking of modern times (and large armies), yeah. And what makes ordinary soldiers willing to partake in it.
>>29991361
>rich people want to get richer
>in the earlier days getting rich was directly correlated to how many land and people was under you
>you go to war
as a soldier willingness to die comes from
1)no choice if draft
2)white feather/female shaming
3)desertion punished of death
4)friendship with the men you fight with
So it seems like you don't understand what pushes a man to voluntarily go to war. There are a lot of reasons, so let me go over some of them to give you a basic understanding. Keep in mind that many of these may not make sense to a pampered, sissified person such as yourself.
Defense:
Probably the biggest reason people fight is the need to defend themselves, their family, and their land from what they feel is a threat. Keep in mind that this may apply even when their family/land isn't in direct danger.
2. Spoils of war
Nearly all soldiers get payed in some way or another, whether in wages, loot, or some other form of benefit. This isn't that hard to understand.
3. Obligations
In nearly all cultures there is an obligation to fight, whether it's just a soft pressure to fight tied into societal notions of honor and masculinity, or an actual contract like levies had with the nobility, or in modern times, citizens have with the draft.
4. Ambition/glory seeking
Historically, this usually applied to the upperclasses, since the common man had little to gain from war. but advancement in the ranks and the promise of glory and fame is certainly a driver for those in war.
5. Naivety
Many young men didnt really know the bad conditions of war, and so they were eager to join up. Keep in mind that diseases, bad weather, and famine were common killers back in the day.
6. It's fun
Most young men like to fight, and enjoy the camaraderie of war. Think of it as an extended holiday with the lads, drinking and gambling and fucking. For the most part.
So those are some of the basic driving factors that urge men to war. Also, remember that most people who go to war do indeed come back alive, and in modern times, the causality rate is ridiculously low. So you're not really giving up your life so much as giving up time and energy.
What you lack is the courage, ambition, and strength of character necessary to comprehend what war is like and why people would like to take part in it.
Every major war since Napoleon's time has had both sides financed by juice. In many cases, especially recent times, they instigated the war from the shadows. Whoever wins, they ultimately win. Even WWII.
This isn't conspiracy, this is fact. All the records are public. It's just that the modern public doesn't care.
>>29991685
Spoken like a true warrior, kek
Anyway, I personally wouldn't go to war unless I thought there was a really high chance enemy will attack my town and put my family and close friends in danger. Even then, I'd look for alternatives such as fucking off to a safer country first.
Honestly, I can't see how a country could be more important than my own life. As I said, unless my family and people I really care about are in danger, country can fuck right off.
This plebbit post about medieval battle was damn great:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1n29nz/what_typically_happened_before_the_start_of/ccewd6a
Extracts:
>What happens next is the big unknown - no author records the technical details of battle so we're having to extrapolate from much later wars where we more sources, human psychology, veteran accounts, etc... The general theory is that 99.9% of soldiers don't want to die (they want to make their opponent do that) and in a world without modern medicine (no antibiotics or painkillers), no Geneva Convention, and lots and lots of sharp pointy things - running into combat was a terrifying experience. None of this wild running, you'd maintain formation because that way you knew your right and left flank was being covered, if you fell there would be someone behind you to try to cover you if you could crawl back through the lines. That wild melee you see in pretty much every depiction of combat is nuts and no sane soldier would take those risks.
>If both sides shambled to a halt, they'd do so at a safe psychological range - out of range of any melee combat. There the unit leaders, the nobility, the veterans, the 'hard men' would try to psych the unit up for combat. The men would be jeering, yelling insults, invoking the gods, etc... all to psych themselves up to march those last dozen meters into potential death.
>Eventually everyone would tire out and the two sides would shamble back to a safe distance and catch their breaths. Wounded would filter to the back. Then the process of psyching themselves up for another bout of combat would begin.
I don't think I want THIS kind of war desu.
>>29990954
People disagree on things and sometimes the most effective way to sort out the dispute is through removal of the opposition.
>>29991023
Yeah this doesn't sound like a soldier who's seen battle.
>>29991106
Dude, dumpster dive. Most places toss their perfectly good shit at the end of the workday or in the early morning.
>>29993279
you have some reading to do, diddlireno
>>29990954
>i le enlightened supreme neet xDD u mad normys XD
>>29990954
Honor and Glory.
Because when it comes to war, even in death someone might remember you as a hero (outside your family and friends circle) who served their country. A person dies two times, once when he stops breathing, and once when his name is mentioned the last time.
Nowadays people would join a war because in this society they have nothing worth living for, so at least fighting and dying for what they believe in is a worthy way of dying.
>>29992897
This is pure bullshit. The guy has no idea what he's talking about.
>>29992697
But I'm sure you would feel better knowing that if your shitty little town full of fucktards you care about was about to be wiped off the map that everyone else in your nation state would honor their obligation to protect you?
>>29991685
Just wanted to say I read your post and enjoyed it. I know you spent a lot of time typing it out so I just wanted to acknowledge you.
>>29991139
this anon gets it completly
listen to him
yea
>>29991361
>nationalism doesn't affect war
>what is world war I
Anon, you're a fucking dipshit.
Anything that can motivate a person to action, can motivate to wage war.
>>29994008
Thanks bro, I appreciate your appreciation.
>>29994310
I never said it doesn't affect war, I said it was a modern invention. Napoleon was probably the first leader to actually put nationalism to work in getting men to enlist. And even still, it is not the only motivation for war in modern times.
The reason to wage war is to expand or reassure or defend dominium of the person in charge.
Human nature is retardedly sectarian. Religion, race wars, culture wars - doesn't matter. People will find any justification to blow each other up, because that's our nature.
Possibly the only thing that might disrupt this cycle is if some external / extraterrestrial threat descended upon the planet and forced humanity to work together to overcome it. Of course, once said threat is gone, humans would just go back to killing each other.
>>29994866
Hey friend I think you are lost
www.reddit.com
its fucking sad that people like this can exist
>>29990954
The craving for power (just for the sake of it) or an effort to acquire more ressources. It all comes down to greed.
It can be political as well like when the US attacked Vietnam out of fear of letting the region fall to the soviet block, but that also comes to the seeking of power.
Many justify their actions with other theories, but thats all there is to it.
Man was, is and always will be moved by sheer greed. Most crimes are also commited by this reason alone.
