![In a healthy body - a healthy mind [702x1280 - 80KB]](https://pic8.co/sh/jJlE9o.jpg){kind=link}
This is why the tradition of the well-rounded "warrior-scholar" has always been held in high regard by many advanced cultures world-wide.
There are two modes of human discourse, and ONLY two. Reason and force. T'was ever thus. The warrior-scholar is prepared to back up his principles with either. By being physically capable and competent, he takes force off the table, and his opponents are forced to reason with him, with logic and rational argument, because they have no other choice.
https://youtu.be/CKUsaCv5Nc8?t=322
Counter-intuitively, violence complements morality. Some of the most dangerous people that I have ever been blessed to know and serve with, were also the most moral and some of the nicest people you would ever want to know. Morality is even more important in war, not less. Because, as we have seen so many times, without strong morality, men would degenerate into their baser selves, and mindless slaughter is the result.
To wit, Socrates was a hoplite, Plato a wrestler, Xenophon a Mercenary General, Aurelius a Conquering Emperor, Musashi an unparalleled Ronin, Patton an Aristocratic American Ajax.
Correct. Violence, raw naked aggression, has a way of focusing one's attention in a way that nothing else can. There is nothing like being punched in the face to give one a nodding acquaintance with reality.
One of our problems as a society (among the many) is that the people who are in the postions to decide when force will be used have no personal experience with it. It's purely an academic exersize of numbers and powerpoint spreadsheets to them. As anyone can see, this is bad.
In 1683, when the overall commander of the combined forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the senior leader, the last warrior-king of Poland, John III Sobieski ( https://infogalactic.com/info/John_III_Sobieski ), led the Winged Hussars in the center to break the siege and relieve Vienna, you can bet he knew very well how things could go. That's why he prayed.
When the Pope calls you, "the saviour of Western Christendom", and even your enemies, the Ottoman turks start calling you, "Lion of Lechistan", you're doing it right.
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