Observation about NTs!

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Doing risky things to appear cool will be a risk factor for some NTs (though not all, or even most) but this risk is very age dependent. It kicks in during the late teen years and wears off by about age 25 (the age when the pre-frontal cortex has reached its full development). So some NTs will be more at risk during that 10 year span. On the other hand, Aspies will have increased risk factors for self medication (which as jtuk notes is something some nts and aspies share) and possibly also suicide.

There are too many variables to make a simplistic divide.

Yeah, I agree, it's only one of many aspects.

I think normal people don't think as much about what they are doing; conversely, I think we overthink everything we do.

The casualty rate is not a good comparison. It includes everyone disabled for fighting: dying, being injured (including psychological trauma), being lost (including unreported death and desertion) and being captured all count. Also, over a long period, someone can count twice, for example by being captured, escaping, then being killed, or by being injured, recovering, and being injured again.

I don't know about casualty rates today, but I made a quick and partial survey of death rates in major battles for different eras (16th century, 17th century and WWII), and my results were around 10%. As I've said, that was for individual battles, and death only. Of course, a battle in Afghanistan is not the same as a battle on the Eastern Front, which is not the same as a pitched battle during the Thirty Years War, but 2% for total casualties looks very, very low to me, even though I am not knowledgeable about modern warfare.

2% is too low. Especially if you consider the losing side's story.

This. Though there is more to it.



True, but apparently the powers of peer pressure and ego are incredible even when NTs grow older. I (and I'm sure many here) don't feel this whole peer pressure thing. I also don't feel an urge to defend my ego (which is especially common in men, with the "fragile male ego" issue.) "Being cool" might seem a concern just for teens, but the underlying reasons for the urge, peer pressure and a defense of the ego, are both there even as they grow older. Most people wise up on some things (like starting smoking), but there are plenty of other things that they do because it still seems favorable for how others view them. Perhaps an NT is hanging out with their friends and they see a flyer for a discount skydiving adventure. Two friends immediately love the idea, and then insist and beg the rest of the group to join them. The NT in question isn't a teenager trying to fit in at school, but he/she IS worried about looking like a coward (ego) and upsetting their friends (peer pressure), so he/she agrees to join.

Then there are other potentially dangerous things, like cheating on a partner, that some people engage in. I'm still a bit stumped on why some people do that, to be honest, but I'm pretty sure a lot of it has to do with following impulses and emotions that aren't fully thought through. It's the same with things like picking a fight. Maybe some people's pre-frontal cortices never fully develop?

Either way, a lot of the reasons are based on emotional impulse. Some people may genuinely believe "You have one life, just live it." However, I wouldn't be surprised if, for many, that only came later, while trying to justify something they previously did (look up "cognitive dissonance" for more info on that.)