Military brats & theater rats are the same under the skin

There are studies that show military brats are a unique subculture. Compared to the average person they exhibit greater resilience, ability to adapt to new situations, and a knack for making new friends. They have extensive exposure to foreign cultures and languages, as well as exposure to regional differences in their own nation. The children of military families are often expected to reflect the military training and culture of their parents: they follow a code of service for the greater good and they come from a tight-knit community with its own lingo and cultural norms.

Military brats recognize each other in a group setting. They’re self-sufficient and punctual. They have exceptional social skills, are unusually independent and tend toward jobs where they are their own boss. They are usually quite accepting of other people and regardless of race, nationality, and so on, and therefore will identify with other world travelers regardless of their cultural differences.

Due to their traveling lifestyle they often show a difficulty in settling down to one geographic location and report a desire to relocate. They get “itchy feet” and change their lives drastically every few years.

As a cohort, a military brat is more likely to be self-critical and a perfectionist with very high standards for themselves and others. They assimilate to new situations very quickly and yet paradoxically they report feeling like an outsider.

Theater rats share all of these traits for many of the same reasons. You have to be extremely disciplined and follow orders well in order to be a successful performer, yet paradoxically flexible and able to adapt to new projects.

There is an image of a theater rat as overly dramatic, extravagantly dressed, extroverted, loud, and brash. That image is not necessarily true, but even if it is true, it is mere surface. Under the skin, the theater rat and the military brat share all of the traits described above.

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