Understanding the Word

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   It is a common quote that war changes a man’s character. Let us analyze this quote and let see if I should agree with this. 

At war, where deceivers, liars, strategists, torturers and bad guys are rampant, the character of a man is challenged. Lives, injuries, fractures are taken away every each minute of war. This situation makes man weak. The power of the tempter grows up and orders him to turn back away to his principles in order to save his life. His mindset focuses instinctively for survival. Do everything for survival even at the cost of losing ones values. Just like what happened to Dolon when he was caught by Diomedes and Odysseus. He splatters out every each detail of the locations of where Hector’s camp is located. 

                 At war, a man usually chooses between two things, his life or his honor. Choose life and his honor will flush down, or choose honor and his will eventually die. Instinctively, usually without the inspiration from others, a man chooses his life and swallows his honor down. But how about when a man has an inspiration and empowerment from others in this kind of situation? 

                A man at war usually fights for the honor of his country, though some fight just for their pleasures. But mostly, warriors that have gone to war are inspired by their king and not by the pleasures that waits for them. By this inspiration man can surpass their fear of death. Just as how determined as Aias as he goes back to their ships. The Trojans are already mobbing him, but he does not mind those Trojans and keep going. Also Odysseus, when the Trojans already gathered around him, not fear but courage and strength arose from him. But yet our best example is Hector. He can escape from the war and leave Troy together with his family. But still, he decided to lead and join the army, for he clings in his honor.  

                So using the two situations, where the first one is uninspired and the second one is empowered and inspired, we can process the quote given. It is therefore agreeable since they both changed the character of a man. But I still do not believe the other side of it, where man degrades his character. 

                Their instincts might be working almost every time, but the warriors are not animals that rely on instincts. Just like those Greeks that were strengthened and converted just because of the war. Their honor steals the spotlight from their instincts making them more determined and empowered than before. They can overcome their fear of death building to them blocks and blocks of additional positive values for their character. 

                To conclude this blogpost, I can say that most of the times, man does not degrade his character in war, but rather the war even strengthens and polishes it through its trials.