what do you think would toughen you up more?

[meltdown75]

this topic intrigues me.

say you're a wet-behind the ears young lad. you've never been in many fights, unless you count getting beat up for your lunch money.

what do you think would make you tougher - being in prison or going through boot camp / armed forces life / AND MAYBE EVEN war?

discuss

 

[AstroManLuca]

Uh, armed forces != war.

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
Uh, armed forces != war.

you know what i love about ATOT? there are no nitpickers.

 

[Barfo]

You could go through an army career without getting in a fight, in prison you'd have to punch at least someone to prove you're not to be messed with (I presume).

 

[BoomerD]

With your posted scenario, going to prison would likely only turn you into someone's prison bitch. In this case, military service would be the better choice.

I was something of a little fella when I enlisted in the USMC. Barely 5-6 and 140 lbs...I hadn't hit that growth spurt yet. (I am now 6-1 and 270, but before I got hurt, I was about 210.)
In spite of my somewhat diminutive size, I kicked ass in boot camp, became platoon leader and graduated as a PFC.
By the time I got out some 4 years later, (3 yrs, 10 mo, 17 days) I was just over 5-10 and about 180 lbs...and afraid of no one...regardless of their size.

(that, coupled with Scotch's tendency to make me want to fight, got me in a passel o trouble over the years...and nearly ended me up in prison a couple of times...)

BUT, how much the military might benefit a :wet-behind the ears young lad" will depend on the character and fortitude of the lad. Some will do well and grow to become men, but others will just slide through the system and come out not much improved over their pre-military selves.

 

[z1ggy]

Originally posted by: Benthic
Prison would teach nothing but resentment. A stint in the armed forces would toughen you physically, mentally, but still teach you respect, service, and build bonds.

Agreed.

Prison=Ass rape.

 

[alkemyst]

until those that have served hard time post here, based on our ex/current military members; I'd have to side with the former.

 

[Gooberlx2]

My BIL was serving his parole with us, until he fucked up and was sent back to maximum security. Here's his take on it (from the conversations we've had with him):

When you enter prison, you join a gang of your own race for protection, or you get beaten and fucked with relentlessly, by all races. When you're in a gang, it's a regimented atmosphere. You do PT, there are ranks, you get in fights. You get beaten and stabbed by your own team, just to learn how to take it from the others. You have assignments, allies and enemies, etc, etc... If you stray from the gang, you're a marked man and likely to wind up dead if admin doesn't transfer you to a protective environment quickly enough.

I dunno if that makes it any more or less tough than the armed forces. Sounds fucking scary though.

 

[Kelvrick]

Prison might bring out the bitch in you. IE being someone's bitch.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Do you mean toughen you up (physically and mentally) so that you might come out as an asset to society? That's the Armed Forces.

Now if you just want to be physically tough, and that's not a guarantee either because you may just end up a penis dartboard the entire time, then you'd be better off with prison. But you'd lose much more mental capacity in prison and you'd be full of hate and anger when you re-enter society.

 

[TruePaige]

Armed forces.

All prison does is soften up your ass muscles.

 

[Train]

Depends on the prison.. a min security resort, or a federal pound me in the ass prison?

Depends on the armed forces.. Marine Embassy Guard in Liberia... or a cook at an Air Force Base in Oregon?

 

[roguerower]

Depends on the indvidual, the type of prison, and the branch of the armed forces.

I'm gonna go w/ prison based on the vagueness of the question.

 

[jemcam]

Too vague.

Marine Corp vs. minimum security resort prison?

San Quentin vs. Air Force?

In either scenario, one will make you tough, the other will make you a softie.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I would say the armed forces would make you tougher. I have been to prison and consider myself a tough guy. I quickly learned that there are much tougher bad ass dudes out there that I don't want to ever meet again. That kind of toughness does you no good unless you want to be some prison brawler. At least in the armed forces you could get physically tough and also learn things that would help in the real world. My vote goes to armed forces.

 

[yinan]

Prison. I've done Marine Corps basic training and I will still be someone's special friend in prison.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

It depends on what type of toughness you're looking for. If you want to be Rottweiler "I'll kill anyone that looks at me" tough, try prison. If you want to be Doberman "I have been highly trained to fuck you up" tough, go for the Armed Forces.

 

[brxndxn]

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
I would say the armed forces would make you tougher. I have been to prison and consider myself a tough guy. I quickly learned that there are much tougher bad ass dudes out there that I don't want to ever meet again. That kind of toughness does you no good unless you want to be some prison brawler. At least in the armed forces you could get physically tough and also learn things that would help in the real world. My vote goes to armed forces.

I think there's two types of tough..

1. "Tough" guy that will lose his entire front row of teeth just to try to prove a point. This is the guy you want to be if you want to be feared, not trusted, and have no friends.

2. "Tough" guy that knows when to fight, walk away, or run. This is the guy you want around if self-preservation is your goal.

Prison would tend toward #1, army would tend toward #2, bars would have a mix...

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
I would say the armed forces would make you tougher. I have been to prison and consider myself a tough guy. I quickly learned that there are much tougher bad ass dudes out there that I don't want to ever meet again. That kind of toughness does you no good unless you want to be some prison brawler. At least in the armed forces you could get physically tough and also learn things that would help in the real world. My vote goes to armed forces.

dude, an overnight holding cell <> prison.

 

[BoberFett]

Haha, so many people voting military have clearly never served.

HUAW

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
I would say the armed forces would make you tougher. I have been to prison and consider myself a tough guy. I quickly learned that there are much tougher bad ass dudes out there that I don't want to ever meet again. That kind of toughness does you no good unless you want to be some prison brawler. At least in the armed forces you could get physically tough and also learn things that would help in the real world. My vote goes to armed forces.

dude, an overnight holding cell <> prison.

not sure what your trying to say?

 

[StageLeft]

Armed Forces. Prison MIGHT make you bad ass but it also might break you down to the point you are useless. Military will give you physical training more than prison (notwithstanding endless working out) but also confidence and simply is more useful to make you tough.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
I would say the armed forces would make you tougher. I have been to prison and consider myself a tough guy. I quickly learned that there are much tougher bad ass dudes out there that I don't want to ever meet again. That kind of toughness does you no good unless you want to be some prison brawler. At least in the armed forces you could get physically tough and also learn things that would help in the real world. My vote goes to armed forces.

dude, an overnight holding cell <> prison.

not sure what your trying to say?

thought so.

 

[Barfo]

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
I would say the armed forces would make you tougher. I have been to prison and consider myself a tough guy. I quickly learned that there are much tougher bad ass dudes out there that I don't want to ever meet again. That kind of toughness does you no good unless you want to be some prison brawler. At least in the armed forces you could get physically tough and also learn things that would help in the real world. My vote goes to armed forces.

dude, an overnight holding cell <> prison.

not sure what your trying to say?

He wants to know the crime.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

stealing stuff, mixed up with the wrong crowd, or maybe I was the wrong crowd