--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: VJ had gone to the Naval Academy, where…" description: "\"“VJ had gone to the Naval Academy, where he competed as a powerlifter and developed a distaste for military customs such as short hair and addressing p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/nathaniel-fick-34731_naval-academy_vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-h_139939.jpg" --- # VJ had gone to the Naval Academy, where he competed as a… ![“VJ had gone to the Naval Academy, where he competed as a powerlifter and developed a distaste for military customs such as short hair and addressing people by rank.” quote by Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/nathaniel-fick-34731_naval-academy_vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-h_139939.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/nathaniel-fick-34731_naval-academy_vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-h_139939.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/nathaniel-fick-34731_naval-academy_vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-h_139939.jpg) > ““VJ had gone to the Naval Academy, where he competed as a powerlifter and developed a distaste for military customs such as short hair and addressing people by rank.”” [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Military culture can clash with personal identity, leading to discomfort with hierarchical norms. **In simple terms:** Military customs may feel restrictive. Key Takeaway Find personal alignment with values. Themes military identity culture clash Mood reflective critical Type social personal When to use this quote - service - career choice - social conformity Key Concepts rank uniformity personal freedom Questions to Reflect On - How to reconcile personal values with institutional rules? - What alternatives exist for dissenters? A Different Perspective Conformity may suppress individuality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Naval academy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naval-academy/) ## Related quotes > [“Chester William Nimitz, Sr. was the last surviving officer to serve as a five star admiral in the Unites States Navy, holding the rank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/chester-william-nimitz-sr-was-the-last-surviving-officer-to-serve-as/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [“About a month after I returned from Vietnam, one of my former prison mates came running to me after a reunion at the Naval…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-stockdale/about-a-month-after-i-returned-from-vietnam-one-of-my-former-prison/) [Jim Stockdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-stockdale/) > [I never made a career decision based solely on my desire to be an astronaut. I attended the Naval Academy because I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/i-never-made-a-career-decision-based-solely-on-my-desire-to-be-an/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [Without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/without-a-decisive-naval-force-we-can-do-nothing-definitive/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The POW camps of North Vietnam were packed with Air Force and Naval Academy graduates. 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The first thing most Navy officer do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-navy-s-caste-system-has-the-reputation-of-being-about-as-rigid-as/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) ## More by Nathaniel Fick > [I hurt for my Marines, goodhearted American guys who'd bear these burdens for the rest of their lives. And I mourned for myself. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/i-hurt-for-my-marines-goodhearted-american-guys-who-d-bear-these/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“You’re quoted as saying, ‘The bad news is, we won’t get much sleep tonight; the good news is, we get to kill people.’” She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/you-re-quoted-as-saying-the-bad-news-is-we-won-t-get-much-sleep/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [When you are serving volunteer professional military, you take an oath to the Constitution, not to a policy or a president and you swear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/when-you-are-serving-volunteer-professional-military-you-take-an-oath/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“Safety is paramount.” “If safety were paramount,” Whitmer declared, “we’d stay in the barracks and play pickup basketball. Good training is paramount.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/safety-is-paramount-if-safety-were-paramount-whitmer-declared-we-d/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [People build continuity into their life: Places, friends and goals. We go to work on Monday with plans for Friday night, enroll as freshmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/people-build-continuity-into-their-life-places-friends-and-goals-we/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [My team is the best, the platoon is good, the company is awful, and the battalion is actively trying to kill us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/my-team-is-the-best-the-platoon-is-good-the-company-is-awful-and-the/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“We learned that indecision is a decision, that inaction has a cost all its own. Good commanders act and create opportunities. Great commanders ruthlessly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/we-learned-that-indecision-is-a-decision-that-inaction-has-a-cost-all/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [I was in Afghanistan and then obviously in Iraq. And I realized that you can't control life. 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"Do that, and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/your-job-is-to-be-the-hardest-motherfucker-in-your-platoon-he-said/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [Do nothing but be prepared to do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/do-nothing-but-be-prepared-to-do-anything/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“Hardness," I was learning, was the supreme virtue among recon Marines. The greatest compliment one could pay to another was to say he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/hardness-i-was-learning-was-the-supreme-virtue-among-recon-marines/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) [Explore all 14 Nathaniel Fick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) ## More Naval academy quotes > [“Chester William Nimitz, Sr. was the last surviving officer to serve as a five star admiral in the Unites States Navy, holding the rank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/chester-william-nimitz-sr-was-the-last-surviving-officer-to-serve-as/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [Everything in my life I owe to God, my family, the Naval Academy, and the Marine Corps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/everything-in-my-life-i-owe-to-god-my-family-the-naval-academy-and/) [Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/) > [I went to the Naval Academy in Annapolis and then I went right into the Navy after that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikie-sherrill/i-went-to-the-naval-academy-in-annapolis-and-then-i-went-right-into/) [Mikie Sherrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikie-sherrill/) > [When I left Kentucky at age 18 to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and lifted my right hand to swear the oath to defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/when-i-left-kentucky-at-age-18-to-attend-the-u-s-naval-academy-and/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) > [I began serving my country when I was 18 years old and entered the U.S. Naval Academy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikie-sherrill/i-began-serving-my-country-when-i-was-18-years-old-and-entered-the-u/) [Mikie Sherrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikie-sherrill/) > [I was suppose to be a Jesuit priest or a naval academy graduate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/i-was-suppose-to-be-a-jesuit-priest-or-a-naval-academy-graduate/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [I wrestled and played football in high school and in my last year, I started as a wrestler and actually had a fairly good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-wrestled-and-played-football-in-high-school-and-in-my-last-year-i/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The Naval Academy is a very prestigious place, and I choose to try it. I got there and darn near didn't pass, just about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-smith/the-naval-academy-is-a-very-prestigious-place-and-i-choose-to-try-it/) [Sam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-smith/) > [A few years later the Naval Academy was founded at Annapolis, and a similar course was pursued to provide it with a corps of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-newcomb/a-few-years-later-the-naval-academy-was-founded-at-annapolis-and-a/) [Simon Newcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-newcomb/) > [One of the things I learned at the Naval Academy and the Marine Corps is we have to make tough decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/one-of-the-things-i-learned-at-the-naval-academy-and-the-marine-corps/) [Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/) > [The POW camps of North Vietnam were packed with Air Force and Naval Academy graduates. The six midshipmen in my Naval Academy class of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/the-pow-camps-of-north-vietnam-were-packed-with-air-force-and-naval/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [Without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/without-a-decisive-naval-force-we-can-do-nothing-definitive/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [I never made a career decision based solely on my desire to be an astronaut. I attended the Naval Academy because I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/i-never-made-a-career-decision-based-solely-on-my-desire-to-be-an/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [“About a month after I returned from Vietnam, one of my former prison mates came running to me after a reunion at the Naval…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-stockdale/about-a-month-after-i-returned-from-vietnam-one-of-my-former-prison/) [Jim Stockdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-stockdale/) > [“The Navy’s caste system has the reputation of being about as rigid as any in the world. The first thing most Navy officer do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-navy-s-caste-system-has-the-reputation-of-being-about-as-rigid-as/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) [Browse all 19 Naval academy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naval-academy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“VJ had gone to the Naval Academy, where he competed as a powerlifter and developed a distaste for military customs such as short hair and addressing people by rank.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nathaniel Fick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-he-competed-as-a-powerlifter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Naval academy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-he-competed-as-a-powerlifter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/nathaniel-fick-34731_naval-academy_vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-h_139939.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/nathaniel-fick-34731_naval-academy_vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-h_139939.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/nathaniel-fick-34731_naval-academy_vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-h_139939.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“VJ had gone to the Naval Academy, where he competed as a powerlifter and developed a distaste for military…” — Nathaniel Fick", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nathaniel Fick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“VJ had gone to the Naval...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-he-competed-as-a-powerlifter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/vj-had-gone-to-the-naval-academy-where-he-competed-as-a-powerlifter/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```