Nothing to Lose or Everything To Live for?

Is it better to have nothing to lose or everything to live for? We tend to think that if someone has "nothing to lose" they're more dangerous than the person with something to lose. It's as if the man with something to lose is distracted or weakened by his emotional and financial ties. It's as if building a life makes you mentally and physically soft, while living a life without any ties or commitments enables you to stay sharp and hard.

At first glance this appears to be true. The street thug, junkie, scumbag is cunning and fights to survive on a regular basis while your average, law abiding citizen who hasn't fought for anything since the 7th grade.

It's true, untrained, your average person is cannon fodder for the street. The average person is in no condition to resist or even avoid predators. Untrained it's no contest. Your post athletic body is going to fail.

But that's not where I was supposed to be going with this. The question is "Is it better to have nothing to lose, or everything to live for?

For the answer I look to the Spartan Culture. For centuries a large percentage of the Spartan Society centered around war and the preparation for war. While other cities of the day only trained or several weeks a year, the Spartans trained year round. Their training began at age 12 and their service ended at age 60. Out of all the Greek cities, Sparta was the most free for both men and women. A citizen of Sparta went to bed knowing that their city would not be sacked and pillaged. A farmer knew that his crops would not be burned and his lands taken away. A citizen of Sparta knew that they would not be enslaved.

The Spartans knew that if they trained and prepared for war, they wouldn't lose their way of life. A part of their training was the study of Phobos (fear) and spent a great deal of time managing fear. Fear was the enemy. Fear freezes men in their tracks. Fear will make you fail. Failure meant losing the battle. Losing in battle meant losing the Spartan way of life. This was unacceptable.

The Spartans discovered that in order to conquer fear, you must look at the opposite of fear. The opposite of fear is not bravery or courage, yet this motivation makes men brave and courageous. The opposite of fear is love. Love of brothers, love of family, love of God and love of country. Love is what makes men brave.

While someone with nothing to lose will be quick to engage in violence, it's the man with something to lose who fights the hardest. A soldier will fight a lot harder in his homeland than he will on foreign soil. You will fight harder in your home than you will out in the street. When all that you care about hangs in the balance, you will fight the hardest.

The problem is, regular people get soft. Human nature makes us complacent and we become scared little sheep. We all know the bumper sticker slogan "Freedom is Never Free." Well, let me ask you, what have you paid for your freedom? Do you think the taxes you pay so some 20 yr old can fight a war over in the sand or your local police can patrol at night does the trick? What about you? What happens if you find yourself on the wrong end of a junkie's fix or some juice-head's roid rage? What if that car you accidentally cut off decides to run you off the road? Are you going to make it home to enjoy the things you hold close to your heart? I hope so.

When I was younger I trained for sport, then later for survival at work. Both are valid and worthy endeavors but seem self-serving when compared to my motivation today which is far greater and far deeper than anything I have ever felt. And it's only getting more intense.

My motivation to train is simple: the more I care for, the more I want to live, the harder I train. The harder I train and prepare, the more I enjoy the things that mater most in my life. Now I train for a fight much bigger than myself. Like the Spartans, I have no fear because I love so much. A little corny, but true none the less. The harder I train, the more I love, the more I enjoy life. I laugh harder, sleep deeper and well...do the other things better as well.

At the end of the day, the guy who has nothing to lose has an expiration date on him. He will make a mistake due to carelessness. Give me the guy with everything to lose and let me train him and put him on my team.

Damian Ross
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense

www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training

www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe

www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits

www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center

FREE TRAINING FORUM: http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com