West Point Explained

While not a China-related post, there are applications of what’s in this entry to the analysis of China’s past, present and future.

When people ask me about my military experience, I find it difficult to explain in accurate, succinct terms. On the surface, there are tales of the hardships of basic training and the rigors of freshmen year... the lack of booze and women... the marching, reciting, and myriad responsibilities... the strict dress-code, speech-code, life-code. A bit deeper, there are legendary hazing stories, or tales of character building, brotherhood, and honor. Beyond that – past the physical and mental adversity, the relative lack of freedom, and the principles of selfless service – there were the feelings of liberation and the sense that my time at West Point, along with the memories it left me/what it taught me, was overwhelmingly positive. Why? Like I said before, conveying the concept of character building and camaraderie, or communicating the idea of being tired and hungry and frustrated as hell are relatively easy things to do. It was the reoccurring impression that I was unbounded and free that I find nearly impossible to rationalize or make clear. How can someone with so little choice feel so liberated?

I believe the answer to that question is addressed beautifully by a pair of TED Talk talks. Last night on TED I watched Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, discuss a concept that has helped me to understand much more clearly why I liked the most un-fun university in America so much. His point is made clear through a discussion of the research he has conducted on the question of ‘why do we so often fail to know what will make us happy in the future?’ And after just a minute or two of watching his video, I was reminded of a talk I watched a little while back by Barry Schwartz. For anyone who wants to understand the beauty of West Point, or even that of Singapore (the happiest country in Asia), I invite you to learn more about the notion of synthetic happiness and the paradox of choice.