Relational Intimacy, Professional Responsibility, and Personal Identity
Relationships are an important part of everyone's life. They provide companionship, love, support, and belongingness. In the military, these needs must be balanced with professional obligations, such as fighting wars and defending one's country. This can lead to conflicts between personal desires and duties.
Soldiers can maintain psychological coherence by integrating relational intimacy, professional responsibilities, and personal identity.
Integrating Relational Intimacy
Soldiers often form strong bonds with their fellow soldiers while serving together. These bonds can be romantic or platonic but involve deep emotional connections. Soldiers who develop close friendships can rely on each other for emotional support during difficult times. When soldiers feel supported, they can better cope with stressors like combat and deployment separation. To integrate relational intimacy into their lives, soldiers should prioritize time for socializing with others. This may include sharing meals, exercising together, or simply talking about non-work topics.
Integrating Professional Responsibilities
Professional responsibilities refer to the tasks and expectations that come with being a soldier. These can include obeying orders, following rules, and performing well in combat.
Some military actions may conflict with personal values or beliefs.
Soldiers may be asked to engage in violence against civilians or commit atrocities. To balance these two roles, soldiers need to establish clear boundaries between their work and personal lives. They should also have open communication with superiors and peers to discuss any concerns or challenges.
Integrating Personal Identity
Personal identity refers to how individuals see themselves and understand their place in society. In the military, this can be complicated by cultural differences, political ideologies, and gender norms.
Women soldiers may face discrimination due to stereotypes about their ability to perform certain duties. To maintain psychological coherence, soldiers should focus on positive aspects of their identities rather than negative ones. They should also seek out opportunities to express themselves creatively outside of work. This may involve writing poetry, painting, or playing music.
Soldiers must balance relational intimacy, professional responsibilities, and personal identity to remain mentally healthy. By integrating all three areas, they can build strong relationships, fulfill their duties, and feel good about who they are.
How do soldiers integrate relational intimacy, professional responsibilities, and personal identity to maintain psychological coherence?
Soldiers must develop various strategies to manage their relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and society while serving in military organizations. They may feel conflicted between prioritizing their work obligations, which often involve long working hours and physical and mental challenges, and spending time with loved ones, who need attention and support.