The Need for Positive Meaning in Military Operations: Reflections on Abu Ghraib

Abstract

Documented abuses by some American military personnel at the Abu Ghraib prison compound in 2004 are considered in the context of the overarching need for people to derive positive meaning from their activities. The vast majority of U.S. troops seek to do the right thing and want to believe that their endeavors are worthwhile and valued. Given this desire, negative events like the abuse of prisoners under U.S. care add to the burden of psychological stress on soldiers. Maddi’s (1967) description of the “existential neurosis” sheds light on the importance of positive meaning in life, and the potentially damaging influence of a declining belief in the significance of what one is doing. In soldiers, this phenomenon is expressed in what I call “existential boredom,” a growing sense that one’s efforts and sacrifices are unimportant and unappreciated. Research and theory on personality hardiness (Maddi’s earlier “ideal identity”) suggest ways that high-hardy individuals are able to maintain good health and resiliency under highly stressful conditions. Extrapolating from this body of work, I offer some suggestions (or hypotheses) for what leaders, friends, family members, and whole communities might do to increase the odds of positive adjustment for those exposed to the psychological stressors of military operations.