Soldiers are trained to overcome their emotions and focus solely on achieving mission objectives.
They might be told to leave behind wounded comrades to avoid compromising the entire team's safety. This is a difficult decision that goes against a soldier's nature to protect his fellow soldiers.
The human brain has many parts involved in processing such situations. One part of the brain processes emotional responses, while another part processes rational thoughts. When confronted with conflicting signals from these areas, soldiers must override their personal feelings to make the best strategic decisions for the mission. The process is known as cognitive dissonance. It involves recognizing both sides of an argument before making a decision based on reason rather than emotion.
Cognitive dissonance requires mental effort and can lead to physical and emotional fatigue. Soldiers may experience headaches, stomachaches, and other symptoms when trying to force themselves to ignore their instinctive reactions. To cope with this stress, some soldiers develop coping mechanisms such as breathing exercises or positive self-talk. Others find support from colleagues who understand what they are going through.
Soldiers learn to balance their personal feelings with mission requirements by practicing detachment and compartmentalization. They train themselves not to become too attached to individual people or outcomes but instead focus on the bigger picture.
In addition to training, soldiers also rely on discipline and motivation to push past their emotional barriers. Knowing that they have a higher purpose keeps them focused on completing their mission despite any personal challenges. This sense of duty helps them overcome their natural inclination toward compassion and sympathy.
While it might seem cold and unfeeling, overriding personal feelings for mission success is crucial to achieving victory. Without this ability, soldiers would be unable to complete complex missions requiring split-second decisions in high-stress situations. By understanding how soldiers psychologically process moments when personal feelings must be overridden, we can better appreciate their sacrifices and commitments.
How do soldiers psychologically process moments when personal feelings must be overridden for mission success?
Soldiers have complex psychological processes that they go through to prioritize their individual desires with respect to their duties as members of an organization. It is not uncommon for them to experience a sense of guilt, shame, fear, anxiety, sadness, or anger because of this conflict between self and duty. During combat situations, soldiers may feel pressure from superiors to suppress these personal feelings and focus on completing their tasks.