What It is Like to Go to War

by Karl Marlantes

There is a deep savage joy in destruction, a joy

beyond ego enhancement.

Part of us loves to destroy. Nietzsche says, “I am by nature warlike. To attack is among my instincts.”20

What’s scary is that it is far easier to take the path of transcendence through destruction than to take the path of transcendence through creation. And the destructive path gets

The easier the path of destruction gets, the more likely we’ll be to take it. This

It is through meditative practices that you observe your own mind. You can’t be a good person until you observe how bad you are.

Transcendence through violence.

Weapons are tools. Tools are an extension of ourselves. Tools make you more effective. They are ego enhancing.

Self-righteousness is one of the best ways invented to fall into the rapture of violence: witness the terrorists who are waging holy war and taking “justified revenge.”

Behavior sets standards, not ideals. So