The War Within

When a nation is attacked—by terrorists or hostile forces—the instinct to retaliate is powerful—understandably so. Citizens demand protection, revenge, and strength. The cry for justice is loud and immediate! Politicians are expected to act swiftly, and failure to do so can be seen as weakness or betrayal.

But in these moments of national trauma, the line between protection and retaliation can quickly blur, and the psychological toll on both leadership and society deepens.

Yes, a sovereign country has the right to defend itself. That’s not in question. But how that defence is carried out, the depth of its consequences, and the long shadow it casts across generations—matters deeply, and these must be confronted honestly.

Retaliation may bring short-term catharsis, but it often comes at a devastating human cost, especially for innocent civilians on both sides.

 “The real war, then, is not just on borders. It is internal—within governments, within societies, and within ourselves.” 

The Psychological War Beneath the Physical One 

Modern terrorism is not just a geopolitical strategy. It’s a psychological weapon, designed to provoke fear, erode trust, and polarize societies. It often wears the mask of religion—but its roots are ideological, emotional, and historical, not spiritual. It feeds on a fractured sense of identity.

 "Religious extremism is a distortion, not a faith."

Yet, when attacks are carried out in the name of religion, the entire community that shares that religion is viewed with suspicion.

 And in times of national grief, societies—already strained—become more vulnerable to reactive thinking, religious nationalism, and binary narratives of “us vs. them.” 

The Legacy of Historical Wounds 

These dynamics do not emerge in isolation. They are embedded in a deeper, more insidious force—historical trauma.

The conflicts we see today are rarely just about the present moment. They are often reverberations of old wounds:

​•​Colonial partitions and borders drawn in violence

​•​Religious riots and genocides that were never fully mourned

​•​Displacement, persecution, and betrayal woven into national memory

​•​Cycles of political betrayal and international interference 

“Trauma that is unprocessed and unacknowledged becomes a fertile ground for both radicalization and reactive nationalism.” 

People carry the memories of violence they witnessed, inherited, or were taught. This fuels identity-based paranoia and makes societies emotionally volatile in moments of crisis.

 These collective memories—whether spoken or inherited in silence—live on as intergenerational trauma. They shape how communities perceive threat, how nations interpret security, and how quickly suspicion turns into hate.

 In such a context, terrorism doesn’t emerge in a vacuum. It festers in places where:

​•​Injustice is generational

​•​Dignity is denied

​•​Religion is politicized

​•​Memory is weaponized 

Retaliation might bring temporary relief, but it doesn’t address the root causes. In fact, it can deepen them—hardening identities, amplifying polarization, and recruiting the next generation into the same conflict under a different name. 

Cognitive Dissonance and the Moral Burden of Leadership 

What we rarely talk about in these moments is the psychological conflict at the heart of war—a form of cognitive dissonance. This is the internal discomfort we feel when our actions contradict our core values.

​•​Nations that see themselves as moral, peace-loving, and democratic may find themselves engaging in actions that mirror the very violence they condemn.

​•​Leaders who value life and human rights are forced to authorize responses that risk violating them.

​•​Citizens who mourn the loss of life cheer bombings in retaliation. 

This internal contradiction isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s destabilizing!

“This is the true battlefield: the one inside us.” 

In such moments, national leaders are under enormous pressure—not just from external enemies, but from within their own society. Even if they possess the emotional maturity and moral clarity to envision a balanced, restrained, and lawful response, they face:

​•​Public demand for vengeance

​•​Media narratives that equate diplomacy with weakness

​•​Political rivals who weaponize grief for popularity

​•​A population often not psychologically prepared to sit with discomfort, uncertainty, or grief 

In some instances, either out of strategy or desperation—they have turned to mobilizing another religious identity to counter extremist violence. They frame one religion as the enemy, and another as the saviour or defender.

 This weaponization of faith deepens the fracture:

​•​It turns national identity into a religious battleground

​•​It radicalizes both sides further

​•​It alienates moderate voices

​•​It erodes secular, democratic, and humanist principles 

What begins as a response to one form of extremism can unleash its mirror image, creating a cycle where every identity feels existentially threatened, and violence becomes culturally sanctioned. 

In such moments, national leaders face an impossible dilemma:

​•​Respond decisively without scapegoating a community?

​•​Counter extremism without breeding more of it?

​•​Uphold national security without compromising constitutional values? 

It’s not hypocrisy—it’s a psychological and political crisis. And ignoring it only makes it worse!

“This is the true complexity of leadership in crisis—not the absence of good values, but the struggle to uphold them under fire.” 

The weapon against it cannot only be bombs or walls. It has to include truth, reflection, and inner clarity. 

What Can Be Done? 

So where do we go from here?

The answers aren’t simple—but they must begin somewhere. 

What National Leaders Can Do

​1.​Acknowledge complexity.

Leaders must resist oversimplified narratives. There are no clean wars. Talking honestly about this doesn’t show weakness—it shows wisdom.

​2.​Respond with values, not vengeance.

Protection and justice can coexist with restraint and legality. True justice is lawful, targeted, and ethically sound. It protects without dehumanizing.

​3.​Tackle root causes, not just symptoms.

Terrorism thrives where injustice festers. Address poverty, alienation, political marginalization, and identity trauma—not just with policy, but with dignity.

​4.​Separate faith from fanaticism.

Religious extremism must be firmly countered—but without demonizing entire communities. Leaders must decouple radicalism from religion in public discourse.

​5.​Stop countering one extremism with another.

This short-term strategy only radicalizes more people and erodes the secular, inclusive foundation of a nation.

​6.​Build moral courage into politics.

We need leaders who can speak hard truths even when it costs votes—and citizens who reward them for it. This requires a cultural shift, not just political will. 

What we can do as Citizens and Society

​7.​Honor the innocent—on all sides.

Recognize that victims exist on both ends of the border, both ends of the belief spectrum. This humanization is essential to peace.

​8.​Mourn—honestly, collectively, and fully.

Without space to grieve, anger festers. A society that honors its own dead while recognizing the humanity in others’ loss becomes more difficult to radicalize.

​9.​Prepare societies psychologically, not just militarily.

A psychologically resilient society is harder to manipulate with fear. Investing in public education, critical thinking, and emotional literacy is national security.

​10.​Invest in interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

The best inoculation against extremism is connection and understanding across identity lines. Societies must normalize pluralism not as tolerance, but as strength.

​11.​Center healing—not just security.

Invest in intergenerational healing, community dialogue, and historical reckoning. This is how trauma stops repeating itself. 

Conclusion 

There are no easy choices in times of terror. But we must resist easy narratives. 

If we ignore root causes, we will be stuck fighting wars that never end.

If we scapegoat communities, we breed the very radicalism we fear.

If we use faith as a weapon, we lose the moral compass that makes us human. 

“The real war is not just on terror. It’s against fear, trauma, and hatred—within us, between us, and across generations.” 

In the end, while defending our nation, we must not lose our humanity—because that’s the battle that decides everything. 

Author’s Note 

Written in a time of grief and noise, this is not just a commentary on conflict—it’s a call to consciousness. A quiet appeal to slow down, think deeply, and act deliberately. When history repeats in pain and the world is on fire, how we choose to respond—internally and collectively—defines not just our politics, but our humanity. Our response, anchored in reflection rather than reactivity, is the only way forward with integrity.

Author 

Dr. Timirkant Takwani

Psychiatrist (MD, DNB - India)

MRCPsych (Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK)

Specializing in General Adult Psychiatry and Medical Psychotherapy, UK