This is a follow-up to my last post, which was about how people need to stop worrying about whether they’re enough. To sum it up, you’re not “enough” (enough for what is as yet undisclosed, it seems), but it doesn’t matter because nobody really is. Everyone is incapable to some degree or other.

Today, we’re going to look at how that might affect the way we interact with others. To illustrate this, we’re going to compare soldiers to warriors.

Soldiers Vs. Warriors

A wise man once told me that if he were given the choice to command either a hundred warriors and a hundred soldiers, he’d choose the soldiers. Why? And what does this have to do with being “enough?”

We’ll get to that.

Warriors Fight for Individual Glory

According to my friend, warriors are individually strong. Each one on his own is more capable than any soldier, so you’d think that a hundred warriors would easily take down a hundred soldiers. However, that appears to not be the case.

The problem with warriors is the fact that they fight for individual glory. They try to transcend their mortality by becoming legends. They rely on their own strength and skill at arms rather than the strengths of their fellows. While they may be highly capable in their own right, individual strength will only get you so far.

Soldiers Work Together

On the other hand, soldiers will work together to take down warriors. It’s not about their individual strength or skill or knowledge. It’s about covering each other’s backs and figuring out ways to overcome any threat that they might face as a group . Their individual capability doesn’t matter nearly as much as their ability to work together.

To soldiers, it’s not so much about your technique with a sword or whether you can outspeed or outsmart an opponent. It’s about what your team can do to ensure a victory with minimal losses. It’s about making sure everyone in your unit gets to go home.

I think I’d much rather be surrounded by people who will work together to protect me than by warriors who believe in living by their own strength.

Historical Example: The Roman Legion

Back in their glory days before they started hiring mercenaries to fight their battles, the Roman armies were a force to be reckoned with. It wasn’t because of the individual might of their soldiers, but because their soldiers worked in a tight, cohesive unit.

Everything from their tactics to their kit to their training was designed to create an unstoppable fighting force. In the legions, you didn’t win battles by being stronger than your enemies. You won because the guys next to you were covering you with their shields while you covered them. They stabbed the warriors giving you trouble, and you did the same for them in turn. The rank behind you covered your head from arrows and darts, just as you did for the rank before you. You moved in tandem, fought in tandem, won in tandem.

Because of the rigid discipline of the Roman legions, they were able to take on numerically superior forces with minimal losses. Generally, it was only when their formations could be broken that they were defeated. Otherwise, they won through their unity.

You’re Not Enough – By Yourself, That Is

So what’s the point of all this talk about warriors and soldiers? Put simply, you’re not supposed to go through this whole life thing alone. It doesn’t matter if you’re “enough.” You don’t really need to be.

Instead, find whatever help you need in order overcome your personal obstacles. Find a mentor, or a teacher, or a friend. Let your family and loved ones bear your burdens, and help them bear theirs. A band of soldiers who are unified in purpose is worth far more than a band of warriors who fight by their own strength alone.

Don’t try to be a warrior. Instead, be a brave, dependable soldier.

Because after all, you’re only human.

The Astral Wanderer is brought to you by lessons learned through blood and violence, unfortunately. Share this post or else face the horrors of war, which would be tremendously bad for your health. Really.