I have to agree with Sebastian. I grew up very upper middle class. Dad was surgeon. Had nothing but private schools, the yacht and hunt club growing up. At 18 I enlisted in the Army. Took the riskiest MOS I saw, recon specialist. I wont get into all the details of basic training and AIT but I will say that I came out of it a different person. (Though I pray to God, to this very day, that I never have to do another 25 mile road march with a full combat load in July). I got out of the Army after 4 years and then got called back for Desert Storm out of the IRR. Never got to see combat. The war ended too quickly for that. If I am honest, that still irks me. Its like being a bench warmer. I went home after Desert Storm and started college. Two things... 1. I was astounded at the level of immaturity of my peers in school compared to myself and to the peers the same age I had just left in the Army. 2. I am convinced, to this very day, that the most destructive and the most dangerous kind of man is one that has never proven himself to himself, that has never been tested. Those are the guys with massive insecurities that manifest themselves in antisocial and violent ways. Once you have been tested and come through you know how strong and how capable your really are and you can face life bravely because you know you can endure or overcome whatever is thrown at you. You can approach life with an internal confidence that in turn makes it easier to do.