"Keeping the Revolution from Losing Its Way Under the Light of Emotion"

By Thit Nek

Emotion is a natural part of every living being, not just human beings. But what makes humans different from animals is our ability to control our emotions and think with reason.

Even so, not everyone manages emotions in the same way. People's ability to do so depends on their upbringing, education, life experiences, and personal character.

Some people compare emotion to the "darkness of ignorance." In this article, however, I prefer to compare it to light.

Light helps us see the way, but if it becomes too bright, it can also blind us. Emotion works in much the same way.

The desire for freedom, anger against injustice, refusal to accept oppression, and the determination to resist abuse all begin in people's hearts. These emotions grow into public movements and eventually into revolutions.

In that sense, emotion is the spark that starts a revolution. It is also an important force in building a fairer political system and a more just society.

However, when emotion becomes stronger than reason, people begin to lose their ability to see situations objectively. They start believing that only their own views are correct and become less willing to understand other perspectives. Protecting their own feelings becomes more important than searching for the truth.

Some of the disagreements we see today within the Spring Revolution come from interests, power, and personal ego. Others are driven mainly by emotion.

For example, people often say:

"We fought from the beginning with whatever weapons we could find. Newcomers should not come and rule over us."

"We captured this territory through fighting. The authority to govern it should belong only to us."

At the same time, others respond:

"Territory and the people are not the spoils of war. They do not belong to any armed group."

Both sides speak from their own experiences and emotions. But simply feeling strongly about something does not automatically make it true.

In reality, armed struggle and civilian governance are two different responsibilities. Armed groups are responsible for security and defense, while political authority should come from the people.

For that reason, governing is not a privilege that an armed group can grant, nor does controlling territory mean owning it.

On the other hand, statements such as:

"We no longer need armed groups."

"We should completely ignore those who fought for us."

are also emotional reactions taken to the opposite extreme.

During a revolution, security, governance, and political leadership are closely connected. They need to support and balance one another. One cannot simply replace or remove the others.

Likewise, statements such as:

"If you criticize our group, you are supporting the Military Council."

"If you disagree with us, you are a traitor."

are clear examples of emotion overpowering reason.

A healthy revolution needs criticism, review, and accountability. But when emotion causes people to treat criticism as an attack, solving problems becomes much more difficult.

A revolution may begin with emotion, but it cannot survive or succeed on emotion alone. Every successful revolution also depends on reason, clear policies, strong institutions, discipline, and agreed rules.

Emotion may ignite a revolution, but its direction must be guided by reality, truth, and rational thinking.

Otherwise, the light that first showed the way can become so bright that it blinds us, causing a revolution that began in the name of freedom to lose its direction.

In summary, the Spring Revolution has now gone through more than five years of struggle. During that time, there have been important achievements, as well as many mistakes and valuable lessons.

This is no longer the time to argue over who sacrificed more or who is more right.

Instead, it is a time for honest self-reflection so that everyone can continue moving together toward the revolution's original goals.

Emotion gave birth to the revolution. But what will shape its future is reason, truth, and political maturity that puts the public interest first.

Today, our greatest challenge is no longer only the military struggle. It is also whether we can manage our emotions while staying grounded in truth.

If we cannot overcome that challenge, I fear the revolution that began in the name of liberation may lose its way—not because of outside forces, but because we become blinded by our own emotions.

This article has been selected, edited, and published as part of a column intended to strengthen the revolution by encouraging public discussion from different perspectives. The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the position of People’s Goal.