Curiosity. A strategy for reducing apathy following time in Special Operations.
One benefit of being part of the Veteran community is the access that exists between individuals going through separation and those who’ve already separated. I don’t recall how many Vets took time to "connect" with me when I left the Navy, but it was more than I merited. For that reason, and because I’m realizing how much your vocational health is critical to your post-service mental health, I always take the opportunity to talk with folks planning for separation.
If anything about these conversations is repetitive, it’s time spent talking about how to answer the complicated question "what is it you want to do?" For years, I’ve passed some advice that was told to me by a former Green Beret, “decide if you care most about income, location, or industry. Once that’s established and you can accept that the other two may sacrifice, the answer will become more clear.” I find that to be highly thought provoking and think it’s a great place to start. Recently though, I’ve felt a responsibility to convey another idea, an idea disguised as career advice but in truth is an encouragement to set yourself up for mental well-being. I try to convey the importance of gauging opportunities for their ability to develop and hold your curiosity over the long term.
On the surface, a vocation that lends itself to developing curiosity makes me think of the sciences and aerospace for some reason, something around research. With deeper thought however, I’ve realized vocations well-matched to foster curiosity are industry agnostic and are more aligned to scope work than they are to a specific field. Pursuing a role you suspect will keep you curious over the long term does not require sacrificing income or success. In fact the opposite is likely to be true. Perhaps it's fair to give up that entry-level compensation could be less; however growth, mastery, and the likelihood of advancing is higher. Curiosity in itself is fundamental to the success of every self-made wealthy person. Musk and Bill Gates being easy examples.
Maybe more important than pursuing roles that foster your curiosity, is being aware of the dangers of dismissing the notion. Choosing a career with no curiosity component invites predictability, and predictability invites apathy and apathy is almost always a symptom when it comes to depression and post-traumatic stress in the years post-service. There’s inevitability to feeling apathetic after leaving the military, and especially after leaving Special Operations. The civilian sector just doesn’t provide opportunities that come with the endorphin roller coaster you never got off during your time in service.
The fog of apathy can feel isolating in an already isolating world as you observe friends and loved ones capture excitement and joy in activities where you are unable. I can recall this idea being depicted in the closing scenes of The Hurt Locker (Link). In the scene, Jeremy Renner’s character returns from an Iraq deployment and confronts numbness as he gets pressured by his wife to make the right choice in a seemingly endless number of breakfast cereal options.
I’m not suggesting your employer can or should solve this problem, but I’m telling you they can make it worse.
In the military, the opportunity to pursue your interest, pivot, and change your mind was present, generally speaking. That ability, I now know was a privilege I failed to recognize. Members pursue deployments they’re curious about, involve themselves in new weapon systems, intelligence operations and leadership roles they’re curious if they can handle. At least for a time, you were curious about how to get in better shape, join a more elite unit or become a better parent and the military while not always immediately gave you that opportunity. While I've noted many incredible opportunities my civilian employment has provided, automatic promotions due to time in rank are not a concept and I won’t be meeting with the “detailer” to discuss “new orders” every two years.
In closing, this isn’t a suggestion to seek employment in a field similar to your personal hobbies. I know successful Veterans who are relentlessly curious about how to lead and build businesses, product and subject matter remain secondary to their curiosity around performance and how businesses grow. You can also just be curious about how to make a million dollars per year regardless of where or how (No need to provide examples here). Curiosity drives engagement, it makes hard work less painful, and it’s also what drives a lot of the decisions around how you choose to spend your free time. For Veteran’s and especially for combat Vet's, feeling stagnant, bored, and having little ability to maintain interest is prevalent. Do yourself a favor and seek employment that you care about. If you find that, you guarantee growth, as a person and as a professional and the money will follow.
The art for this post was created by Sarah Rossetti “Invader Girl” and can be found at
https://www.invadergirlart.com/
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