A new audio book version of his book precipitated this story in his local paper. Speaking of moral injury, he says:
Because it destroys a person’s capacity to trust, moral injury, combined with psychological injury, becomes “the poison chalice,” Shay says.
This is certainly true whether that trust was ruined by incompetent governments, officers, NCOs, or corporate management. Distrust also builds a deep cynicism as evidenced from my research.
He continues further:
“If you look at the number of combat veterans who become pathologically suspicious of their wife’s fidelity, who are constantly hearing or believing that they are being ‘dissed’ at work. It’s an awful way to live. To have one’s capacity for trust devastated is damaging to society big time. To live with moral injury is to live in a state of chronic pain. It’s awful and can be incredibly scary, because there aren’t a lot of choices. You can run and hide … or you adopt a false identity.”
Unfortunately, Dr. Shay retired before the latest conflicts the US is embroiled in have kicked off. I would love to have him be able to contrast/compare the Vietnam vet to Gulf War, Iraq, or Afghanistan vets.