Title: The Real Soldier
Author: Agboola Samson Oluwatosin
Publisher: Lulu.com
Pages: 202
The Real Soldier is a psychological nonfiction book written by Agboola Samson Oluwatosin. It explores in specific, the cognitive behavioural personality traits and blends of Officers, personnel, Aircraftmen and ratings within the framework of the Nigerian Military setting.
What informs the author to examine the different environmental, psychological attitudes and attributes of these groups of personality types is born out of the fact that he the author grew up in a barrack and has had various contacts with each of the groups, thus understanding their cognitive universe.
In this book of two hundred and twenty pages, Agboola tells readers not to be judgmental about the personae of these groups from a distance but the need to look inward to understanding the different environment they are coming from because whatever shape the life of the personnel, is not domiciled in the service but has been a character trait about whom he truly is even though the current status regulates them. He puts it succinctly this way:
“It is only at intervals that the true ‘colors’ of a soldier, rating, or aircraftman are noticed. His past influences what he is now and how that interferes with his output in the service, within his command or unit.” (The Real Soldier)
The author using a psychological approach and descriptive analysis explains clearly about the seven types of personality traits as well as the components, factors and complications embedded therein.
He observes that personality misfits or mismatch can lead to a disastrous destiny and affect not just the workforce of the soldier but ruin his relationships with family and friends. He maintained that for every Austere, Timorous, Caustic, Service chameleon, Euphoric and Conceit, there is that certain environmental, education, religious, and physical forces that must have shaped his capacity as well as flaws in his work unit or dealings with other people outside of work.
He brings to our knowledge about what informs the personnel, soldier, rating or aircraftman to being a chronic drunk, meek, confidence, lackadaisical, debtor is nothing other than his personae and not the service or place of work.
Agboola believes that family background and lack of self-realization of individual personality type plays a role in this regard. A personal who comes from an extended family background or monogamous homes sure can be easily figured out as to why their conceit nature and if burdened by a wrong blend as a companion can lead to their destinies.
Providing an introduction into the environmental and family lifestyle of the seven personality types, he defined what makes up the personality types; looking at six categories of components which includes Social life and integration, religious life, environment, physicality, educational strength and other special consideration.
He says the Conceits come from monogamous homes but lacked that parental love and guidance, but often like to follow that trail in future. In other words, they are being nurtured as loners. The caustic does not usually like his parents for certain reasons or factors and the repressed come from that extended home where he strives for himself.
The service chameleon usually does not follow the trail of the parent being from a military background, a loner like the conceit, he adapts easily. For the case of the Timorous, he is timid and usually not loved even though; he had that opportunity to have lived with his parents.
The Euphoric he maintains may come from any of the family backgrounds while the Austere comes from the poor family background but is usually shouldered with lots of responsibilities.
In the cause of figuring out the differences in their capacities, proficiencies and weakness about the performances of the different personality types, Agboola proffers positive matchmaking solutions known as personality blends for each and every personality types towards their behavioural modification and rehabilitation while also encouraging on the need for individual realization and self-reinforcement to become better persons, Personnel, Soldier, Rating and Aircraft men even after retirement from service.
For the terrible Euphoric and Service Chameleon, there is a need for therapist and psychiatrist to continually educate them especially towards reshaping their qualities of life for the better.
It is also important for personnel to identify his or her traits and work towards positive improvement both in his place of work and managing of his home.
Whatever the case may be, this book shows clearly the nature of the personnel and how not nurturing it starting from the home can lead to a serious controversy.
This book is a must-read for both men who are still active in service and others working towards retirement as it will go a long way to reshaping their personal life including their relationship with others including working towards building better homes and future. Readers would strongly recommend, the book, The Real Soldier for all Military and Paramilitary schools as it would go a long way to shaping and reshaping thoughts as to the identification of the various personality types for positive reorientation.
However, readers may be disappointed about the author’s restriction of this subject matter to only men within the Nigerian military framework as they are lots of other civil servants, women who are depressed and searching for a book with meanings about their personality types and blends like The Real Soldier.
Readers may observe the kind of narrative use as something that has descriptive flow rather than engaging on some forms of fictional stories that one can relate to understanding each of the blends. Though, the author did fair justice by creating vivid scenarios to buttress his point.
Salamatu wrote from Abuja
