The attitude towards oneself and the surrounding reality in peacetime and in war is completely different. Weapons give strength and power to one. It inspires fear in others. In military conditions, a special type of personality is formed.
Psychologists believe that death, guilt, pain and suffering are borderline situations. In them, a person does not behave as usual. The result can be stress, like excessive mental stress. And even a neurotic state. The condition of a person in conditions of military operations is denoted by the term "war mentality" (military mentality). And the characteristics of human behavior in war are engaged in psychology and sociology.
Features of the mental state of man in war
Human feelings in a non-standard situation can unexpectedly reveal the characteristics of the psyche. The main feature of behavior in war is its relative impunity. If in peacetime murder entails criminal punishment, then the "war mentality" is characterized by the opinion that "the war will write everything off." Moreover, killing is the ultimate goal of any military action. Man’s actions are dictated not only by the purpose of saving his people. To a greater extent, the instinct of self-preservation begins to act here.
War reveals the elements of the psyche, formed in peacetime. Human qualities appear unexpectedly. Courage, determination, the ability to quickly respond and make decisions - now these qualities from a set of simple words play a decisive role. First of all, they help a person to survive.
Motives of human behavior in military conditions
There are several main motives for behavior:
- hatred of the enemy (the stronger the understanding that the enemy threatens a person and his family, the stronger the motive for the destruction of the enemy);
- emotional stress (aggravation of excitement, ecstasy of attack or panic and apathy);
- the heat of passion;
- feeling of fear.
A combat attack is a situation of real mortal danger. The instinct of self-preservation, which awakens at this time, causes a state of intense mental excitement. The state of choice between preserving one's own life and death for the sake of the life of others is the cause of severe emotional conflicts. A form of reaction to danger is a feeling of fear. It can cause numbness and intensify efforts, depending on the degree of development of the psyche and the characteristics of temperament.