From an interview with Sebastian Junger:
I think I sought out situations that were dangerous because I grew up in a very affluent, safe American suburb, and as a human being and as a man—and those are two different things—I felt like I had never really sort of grown up. I never really tested myself, proven myself to my society. And that’s a crucial step for both men and women, to show your society that you’re worthy. And of course, we’re social primates. Humans die alone in nature almost immediately. We survive because we’re part of a group. And being part of a group requires participation. You have to be worthy of it and you have to make sacrifices for it or they don’t want you. And that’s always been true. And if you grew up in an affluent American suburb, it’s hard to tell if you’re fulfilling those standards or not. So I think that’s what drove me journalistically. Situations that are in flux, that are dangerous, that are mortal, that are deadly, are situations of high consequence for the world, for history, for the future. And so as a journalist, those situations drew me as well.