During wartime, soldiers experience various emotions that can be difficult to reconcile with their professional duties. They may feel guilt and shame for killing their enemies, fear for their own safety, loneliness and homesickness away from loved ones, and desire for human connection despite the risk it poses. These emotions create an emotional dissonance between their professional identity as soldiers and their personal relational desires. How do they navigate this tension and continue functioning effectively?
Soldiers often turn to each other for support and camaraderie, forming bonds that are vital to survival in battle.
These close relationships can also lead to feelings of guilt about breaking military rules prohibiting fraternization. Some soldiers develop romantic or sexual relationships with fellow soldiers, which can further complicate matters. While these connections provide much-needed comfort, they also bring risks of discovery, punishment, and loss of trust among comrades.
In addition to emotional conflict, soldiers must balance practical concerns such as maintaining secrecy and avoiding detection by the enemy. They may need to conceal their true feelings and identify with their unit's mission rather than express individual emotions. This requires them to suppress or redirect personal desires and needs towards the larger goal of victory. Soldiers may hide behind a mask of bravado or stoicism to appear unaffected by the horrors of war.
To manage this tension, some soldiers seek out religious or spiritual guidance, relying on faith to help them cope with the moral dilemmas of combat. Others find solace in art, music, or hobbies that allow them to express themselves creatively without violating military regulations. Many rely on therapy or counseling to process their emotions safely and healthily.
Navigating emotional dissonance between professional identity and personal relational desires is complex and challenging. It requires courage, self-awareness, and resilience to acknowledge and work through conflicting emotions while staying focused on the task at hand. The ability to balance professional duties with personal needs is crucial for mental health and overall effectiveness on the battlefield.
How do soldiers navigate emotional dissonance between professional identity and personal relational desires?
The emotional dissonance that soldiers experience as they balance their professional identities with their personal relational desires is not an easy task. Soldiers are trained to be loyal, disciplined, and focused on completing their mission objectives. They often find themselves in situations where they have to make difficult decisions that go against their personal beliefs or values, such as killing innocent civilians.