Tribe Dialectical Journal
Quote (page number)
Analysis
“The sheer predictability of life in an American suburb left me hoping—somewhat irresponsibly—for a hurricane or a tornado or something that would require us all to band together to survive. Something that would make us feel like a tribe. What I wanted wasn’t destruction and mayhem but the opposite: solidarity.” (pg. xiv)
He in no way means that he wants to see devastation, but rather healing. Junger profoundly points out that destruction and mayhem bring unity and togetherness by forcing people together into community. I find it ironic that destruction can lead to healing, but then again rainbows come after storms. The uncertainty, devastation and lack of fortune break people down to their …show more content…
How storms produce rainbows.
How something so unhealthy produces something healthy. When disaster hits, material lust all but vanishes in the face of the pertinent necessity to survive. People are tasked with surviving, rebuilding and making an effort to better the situation. This provides otherwise lost minds with a purpose and identity for themselves and in the community. Their lives are given purpose, and therefore they have a reason to exist and carry on.
“America’s great wealth, although a blessing in many ways, has allowed for the growth of an individualistic society that suffers high rates of depression and anxiety. Both are correlated with chronic PTSD.” pg. 101
What is it exactly about wealth that leads to higher levels of mental illness? What about being individualistic leaves a wider doorway for depression and anxiety. Here is my conjecture: working independently and/or individualistically through life prompts loneliness and a loss of connection between everyone around you. I assume that isolation after war or in your everyday life may be what someone feeling depressed may want, but it only worsens the initial problem. Humans are social creatures by nature, hence being isolated comes with