On being emotional and irrational

John Hargreaves commented on my letter from July 14, 1999, that I was worrying about the wrong issue (The Jakarta Post, July 20, 1999). He said being emotional and irrational are two different things, arguing in the words of Joseph Conrad, "convictions are a disguised servant of our passion". In some ways, it is true that one's convictions may reflect one's passion, but I cannot agree that being emotional and irrational are two different things that have consequently no link to each other.

When emotional, one tends to act irrationally; however, it is not necessarily so otherwise. An angry emotional man may kill another. That man is obviously in some way irrational, especially if the murder is without good reason, while the rational man will think it over before doing such a thing. Not being able to get what he wants, one may run amok emotionally, and this act is undoubtedly irrational.

In regard to the thumbprints in blood by Megawati's fanatics, it shows us how emotional they are, and it becomes irrational as their intention to do so is pressing others to support them in electing Megawati as president. As long as the pressure is passive it will hopefully not raise any problems. Then they said, however, that they would call on fellow fanatics to go to the legislature building in the next General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly to form a mass movement for the election of Megawati as president.

In this way, the intended pressure may become counterproductive to the process of democratization and to the stability of this nation. We should not forget who will guarantee that the opposing groups will not counteract them, and thus letting physical clashes and a chaotic situation ensue. This is the issue I am trying to raise for the rational to persuade those, who are emotional and irrational, to think before acting for the sake of all of us and the nation.

H.W. PIENANDORO

Bogor, West Java