Year: 1970
Type: article
Abstract: War is a strange element in the civilization of modern man.In this day and age, modern men, from the time they are small, are taught to cultivate love for their fellow human beings.And yet war has never been eliminated from history, including the history of modern men, for war seems to be a necessary evil.In the face of war, where people kill one another, differ ent men experience different feelings: some feel exalted, others feel afraid.And one such man is Usamah, a writer.When the September Thirtieth Movement broke out, Usamah was one of those who actively defended his country against the Communists' efforts to gain control over it.Thus Usamah was involved in a type of war--people around him were killing one another.All this was only to be expected.It was also only to be expected that Usamah, a writer, could not bear to see it; and, in the same way, it was only to be expected that there would be others quite capable of bearing it.A writer, who must always train himself to use his finer feelings, always to see the human beings around him as unique realities, to try always to empathize with and understand the problems of other men, cannot stop himself from feeling compassion for others, even though they may be categorized politically as his most dangerous enemies.Mutual understanding will always bring those affected to a feeling of mutual compassion.So, it is only proper that we recognize what is written below in Usamah's personal notes as the expression of the humanity that can never be eliminated from human existence, no matter how long nor how terrible the war that may befall them.This is the natural reaction of a man who sees others as his fellow men.
Source: Indonesia
DOI: 10.2307/3350624
Authors: Helen Jarvis, Usamah
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2320910057