"Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power." - Seneca

My son and I had a conversation once that turned to what it meant to be a knight in feudal Europe. Explaining it to him, I drew parallels between knighthood and modern special operations soldiers, as well as other historical military elites. This conversation sparked a train of thought about what it means to swear an oath or adopt a creed. 

Oaths and creeds, codes of conduct, these are at their heart mechanisms of control. At their purest they are vehicles of self-discipline that keep us true to our best selves in times of weakness or doubt. At worst, they are mechanisms used to keep others in line for the benefit of the rich and powerful. 

The fabled samurai code of bushido began as a search for honor and self perfection in a time of constant warfare, but evolved over time into a way to ensure unquestioning loyalty from that warrior class. This was taken to such a fanatical extreme that ritual suicide was an accepted way for a warrior to atone for failing his lord. The code of chivalry in medieval Europe with its emphasis on fealty and piety went through a similar evolution over time, although not to the same fanatical extreme. 

Contrast these with my community’s beloved ranger creed. Perhaps because of the unique cultural value our nation places on individual freedom and independence, it is nowhere near as rigid or controlling as either Japanese bushido or European chivalry. While valuing service and loyalty, the ranger creed is still very much about warriorship rather than fanaticism or fealty. It is about embodying the positive attributes of a professional warrior. 

Make no mistake however, there’s still control being exercised. And that isn’t in and of itself a negative thing. A professional warrior devoid of ethics is a dangerous thing. A warrior class devoid of ethics and obedience can wreak untold damage on a nation and culture. But this control can also be dangerous and open to abuse by those in power. 

Blind obedience by a warrior class to the wrong ruler is a recipe for atrocities and abuses. If professional soldiers don’t allow themselves to disregard unlawful orders, they are no better than highly trained thugs. 

Mechanisms of control aren’t only used on the warrior classes though. From the bread and circuses in the arenas of ancient Rome to manufactured medical mass hysteria in the modern day, those in power have to control the masses in order to retain that power. If we are to live up to our potential as a nation, indeed as a species, we must always guard vigilantly against this. If we cannot control ourselves we will always be under the control of others.