People can be categorized into the types - sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. The Sheepdog Mindset emphasizes the need for individuals who blend empathy with the capacity for violence. Their self-awareness helps them yield both in measured ways to protect the sheep from the wolves in society.
Hansel and Gretel falling into the hands of the hungry witch; Three Little Pigs building houses the wolf seeks to destroy; the blonde maiden unjustly locked away in a tower. Folk tales such as these contain valuable knowledge. We can extract wisdom ranging from the opposing forces of good and evil to personality types and basic principles of psychology.
As kids we were excited to go beyond good and evil and look for the moral of these stories. As adults we often settle for the comfort of the black-and-white narrative these tales provide. We go through great lengths to minimize complexity in an increasingly complex world; in hopes that reducing life to a binary system of good and bad will offer some relief from the relentless information overload we’re confronted with daily. And as if this approach wouldn’t be risky enough,some of us prefer to live in outright denial, pretending that evil does not exist at all.
We go through great lengths to minimize complexity in an increasingly complex world; in hopes that reducing life to a binary system of good and bad will offer some relief from the relentless information overload
This is a dangerously narrow lens through which to view the world. Such a limited mindset also poses a serious problem on your path to create awareness in your life. Blending black-and-white thinking with denial, while attempting to forge clarity and awareness is incompatible. You cannot have it both ways. The Sheepdog Mindset, described by Lt. Col. Dave Grossmann in his book On Combat, might help to resolve this limited way of thinking. According to the author, people fall into three categories – sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs.
The bulk of society is made of decent and kind citizens who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep, beings without the capacity for violence. What makes people sheep is the fact that they live in denial. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world.
A second much smaller group are the wolves, evil men who are capable of evil deeds. Unlike sheep, wolves have a distinct capacity for violence. They lack empathy and feed on the sheep without mercy.
Sheepdogs make up the third and smallest category. The purpose of the sheepdog is to protect the sheep from the wolves. For that he needs to blend the empathy of sheep with the wolf’s capacity for violence. What makes him a sheepdog is the large degree of self-awareness he possesses to wield both empathy and violence in measured ways. The sheepdog resembles the dragon-slayer in children’s stories. Or did you really believe the pretty boy with the shiny sword goes to pet the dragon? No, he wins the heart of the princess one day only to venture in the woods and cut off the dragon’s head the next. More contemporary representatives of the sheepdog are policemen, soldiers, or simply the person who stands up to a bully.
Grossmann goes on to say that unlike real sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs in nature who are born that way, humans have a conscious and moral choice. You can decide to be a sheep, a wolf, or a sheepdog. However, it is important to understand the price you pay in each instance.
It is okay if you want to be a sheep. Just realize that, when the wolf comes knocking and there is no sheepdog around for protection, you are in trouble. Without the means of protecting yourself, physically or psychologically, you are the proverbial kite in a hurricane – buffeted around by external forces, doomed to get ripped apart.
If you choose to be a wolf, your victory will always be temporary. You may get away with many bad things for a long time. But rest assured that the sheepdogs will hunt you down eventually.
Should you choose to be a sheepdog, the price to pay is that every day you must dedicate, equip,and prepare yourself to thrive in that moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door. Be aware that you cannot expect gratitude or understanding for your choice.
Sheepdogs are often disliked by the sheep since they disturb their denialist worldview and constantly remind them that there are wolves roaming the land.
Clearly, the Sheepdog Mindset is not for everyone. It’s also not necessary that everyone turns into a sheepdog.
Just ask yourself: Could I live with myself knowing I could have done something to prevent … [a particularly bad situation]? If your answer is: No, I would be crushed by being a mere bystander, then it may be necessary to become a sheepdog.
