In the book Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell, the concept of "thin slicing" is brought up. It is the concept where you make a split decision about a person or situation or ... basically taking a thin slice of perceived information about an individual or issue to found your opinions.
In the first so-many-seconds after meeting a person, you are able to tell if you like that person or don't. In the first few seconds, a cop or military member has to decide to shoot someone or not to. These are examples of thin slicing.
Back to my point. Iraqi's seem to really like an office, and in that office, the more TV's and phones they have, the more weapons they have, the more room they have, the more influential they seem to feel.
Really, what is the point of all that?
We silly Americans do the same thing. Rich people have to have a HUGE house, with lots of cars and lots of this and plenty of those. Seriously, how many cars can you drive at one time? Collectors... OK, I get that, but other than that, I just don't understand.
One of the Col's we have here, for example, demands new this and new that for his office. Not for the things that will make the office (team) more effective, but for pictures and flowers and the like for his office.
When something new comes in, he gets it and gives the leftovers to his men. When it is time to eat, he eats first and lets his men fight for what is left. When new boots or uniform items arrive, he makes sure he gets his before his men even know it is there, and if they get it first, they make sure he gets his first.
In the US military, it seems to be the other way around, in most cases anyway. The junior Marines eat first, get first dibs on the new gear, get the first days off... We seem to get the idea that true power empowers others. We seem to get that if we take care of our Marines, our Marines will take care of us.
Semper Fi,
m
2 comments:
and you take amazing care of your marines as you do your family. we love you and miss you terribly, but also know this is your time and your sesson to take care of America and your men in this time.
Thank you.
The way you see the Iraqis doing it - me first - is the natural way. The "others first" is the Jesus way. How did Jesus word it??? In Mark 9:35, Jesus said, "if you want to be 1st you must be last and be servant of all." Or something like that!! In Luke 9:48 He said, "Whoever is the least among you is the greatest. Our forefathers knew and understood that. Americans now days are getting more and more like the "natural man". The Jesus way is the only way it will "work".
God has a way of exulting those who humble themselves and humbling those who exalt themselves! (In His time!) Isaiah 14:12-23 I believe our forefather's belief in God and the Bible is the reason America is the great nation it is today. But I also think in present times, we've exulted ourselves and God's about to "humble" us. It's not going to be pretty.
Thanks for continuing to live the "Jesus way". You are a "light" in a dark world! I love you and am so proud of you!
Mom
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