Machine, Machine! Stories about how border breaking experiences from a combat fatigue course relates to the development of willpower and the educational concept of bildung

Abstract

This paper investigates how border-breaking experiences among officer cadets can contribute to the development of character. The object of investigation is the “Combat Fatigue” course and the reported reflections and outputs about this in extremis learning experience. The findings are analyzed using the theoretical concepts of hardiness, willpower, and resilience. These concepts suggest that a warrior’s leadership ethos is related to the mind at the cost of the body, and that team spirit is fostered in harsh conditions. Hallucinations are reported during the training by the cadets as being valuable to their future leadership, because they can represent border-breaking experiences, strengthening their belief of mastery in harsh leadership environments.