The importance of Connection

At Olson Zaltman, we frequently see the Deep Metaphor of Connection as one that structures people's thinking. This example goes back a few months, but it is still a good example of Connection at work in the real world.

This is a Sebastian Junger essay that appeared in Vanity Fair addressing the topic of PTSD.  Researchers are learning that PTSD really has very little to do with the degree of horror someone might have experienced in combat -- plenty of soldiers experience horrible things during war and come out on the other end just fine.  However, one of the differences is the degree of connection they feel to the society to which they are returning. 

They are going from a military family where extremely close bonds were formed in the midst of hardship, to a civilian society where it can be difficult to form anything resembling those kinds of close, familial bonds with anyone outside one's immediate family.

Fascinating piece not only about the nature of war but also on the alienating effects of our modern world.