Reality is not for the weak or faint-hearted. Experienced mentors are the most important component of building resilience in young folks new to the arena. Our cultural reliance on college degrees and signaling credentials is most unhelpful.
Young folks get the idea they’re qualified to operate independently because they’ve been "sufficiently educated." That’s generally hubris. As the old saying goes, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. In engineering, the Engineer In Training (EIT) program in the US and testing for certification helps complete the education under 4 years of apprenticeship supervision by an experienced professional. Not all career fields have programs built on apprenticeship, but the skilled trades and medicine certainly do.
The "sink or swim", aka "dog eat dog" approach used in much of the business world is an extreme disservice to new hires. Apprenticeship is the way in which traditional wisdom and practitioner knowledge is passed between generations.
Rites of passage really do make a big difference. A guiding mentor helps a lot. Most importantly, a desire to succeed despite obstacles and hard experience. Reality is a harsh and unyielding teacher; it's best that folks accept that early in life.
Many of those who suffer crippling mental stress in the wilderness or in combat are young, immature, and have little real life experience. We are seeing a similar thing happening today in US law enforcement. My generation included a lot of Vietnam vets who entered LE. They had seen all manner of carnage, tragedy and horror stuff that made street violence and urban crime look mild. Today, many entering LE are college grads who in their 20s who are applying for their first full-time job. If hired, after completion of the academy there's a long learning curve, generally about 4 years, to become street smart and to adjust to the realities of what they see out there. Some grasp it and others don't and quit.
In my opinion US LE should raise its minimum hiring age to 30.
In our civilian world those under care for certain mental issues likely should never place themselves in stressful situations at all, if they hope to survive. The tinfoil hat is less effective than the Kevlar helmet and Level 3 body armour.
A good read on the subject:
https://www.outsideonline.com/2418546/ka...psychology
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