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> Through the relation he has with his tools (somewhat antithetical to that of the graphic designer and his Adobe licence), the physical trials and mimicking of the tribe, the infantryman acquires a certain prudence. He may often not be able to articulate it; but, in his mind, the social and the temporary are often clearly distinguished from the transcendent and the universal. And when on leave, he is one of the few who can truly, without guilt, enjoy and appreciate the physical pleasures and comforts of the 21st century.

I think wilderness campers and certain kinds of hunters can relate to this too.

It's a funny kind of inversion that the extreme discipline, rules and instant punishments of military conscription is described as 'absolute freedom'.
Yeah, it's a real paradox, but from personal experience it is absolutely true. I thought this article did a good job of showing the underlying mechanics of why.