Rationality Over Emotion: The Need for Sanity in Troubled Times

By Shariq Ali | Valueversity

At a time when regional tensions and uncertainty are rising, it is vital to understand how our brain processes emotions and logic.

Emotions like love, hate, and fear are rooted in our limbic system—particularly the amygdala and temporal lobes—while reason, insight, and decision-making originate from the prefrontal cortex, the core of human consciousness and understanding.

Unfortunately, the current tension between India and Pakistan—especially regarding Kashmir—is dangerously shaped by political forces deliberately provoking emotional instincts. Such actions inflame public anger, grief, and nationalist sentiment, pulling ordinary citizens into an emotional whirlwind instead of encouraging thoughtful reflection.

India’s political climate appears to be slipping into a dangerous war hysteria, driven by extremist voices promoting hatred and division. What began as mere political rhetoric has now dangerously transformed into military gestures. As always, the heaviest price is being paid by innocent civilians, especially in Kashmir and border regions, whose lives and futures are being used as stakes in a political game.

Now is the time to collectively change our mindset. Let us rise above emotional impulses and engage our prefrontal cortex to embrace reason, empathy, and foresight. Peace demands maturity. Sanity is the art of self-restraint. We must refuse to be tools in the hands of those who profit from division and instead promote dialogue, diplomacy, and mutual understanding.

The path forward lies not in emotional escalation but in calm contemplation. Before it’s too late, both nations must listen to the voices of their people and thinkers—demanding rational alternatives over mutual destruction.