The importance of tangible realization

The Korea Combat Training Center conducts simulated combat training using the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, or MILES. They also hold an annual contest for civilian clubs using this training device. I was invited to this event by chance and had the opportunity to participate. I was surprised twice: I initially thought most participants would be young reservists and people from special forces, but there were many older men and students. I was especially surprised to see middle school students, who had never been in the military, participating for the first time and fighting with more determination and calmness than the adults in the reserves.

I was worried that some participants might protest or complain because they were using real guns with blank ammunition, even though it was just a game. However, there were no such issues, and I found the participants to be very good at following orders and more peaceful than active-duty soldiers. I participated because I wanted to experience the real-world atmosphere and lessons that you can't get from a book. After two days of smelling ammunition and running around the battlefield, I realized two things.

The first is to confirm‎ what I already know. Questions such as, “Did you live through that time?” “Have you been to war?” and “Did you do that yourself?” are some of the most common sarcastic comments historians receive. There's a lot to be said for this kind of criticism, but book knowledge is not all fantasy and disconnected from reality. I was able to see this unity again and again.

The second is a new realization about the atmosphere of the battlefield and the psychology of the soldier. A new realization is not necessarily about knowing something you didn’t know before. It’s about discovering the abstract concept of 'a giant' as something tangible: two meters tall and 140 kilograms in weight. Genuine knowledge should be tangible. Knowledge wrapped in abstractions and vagueness is the reason our society suffers from dichotomies, extreme accusations, demagoguery, and double standards.