: Exploring how soldiers from opposite sides (e.g., Vietnam or WWII) have reunited years later to find common ground. The Moral Conflict : Referencing literature like Pearl S. Buck’s
: Applying Lincoln's "better angels of our nature" to current political discourse. 3. Behind the Mask: Personal Accounts of Humanizing the Foe
The concept of "Faces of the Enemy" was famously explored by social psychologist Sam Keen in his 1986 book and subsequent PBS documentary. Keen argues that we do not kill human beings; we kill the "enemy"—a mental construct built from our own shadows, fears, and cultural propaganda. The Psychology of Enmity: How the "Enemy" is Built
In the quiet moments before a war begins, long before the first bomb drops or the first shot is fired, a different kind of battle takes place. It is a battle fought not with weapons, but with words, images, and symbols. It is the psychological process of turning a human being—complete with a family, a history, fears, and dreams—into a monstrous caricature. Faces Of The Enemy
: Analyze the archetypes used in propaganda—such as portraying the "other" as a beast, a demon, or a faceless statistic. Key Points The Shadow Projection
Text: We only have three “Faces of the Enemy”:
The answer might just be the beginning of peace. : Exploring how soldiers from opposite sides (e
: Using technology and technical language to turn killing into a "rational" and unemotional action. 3. The Psychology of Dehumanization
This piece would apply Keen's 1980s framework to the modern era, where "enemies" are often found within our own borders rather than across oceans.
When we look at an enemy, we do not see a face like ours. We see a mask. The Psychology of Enmity: How the "Enemy" is
This article would revisit Sam Keen’s core thesis that before physical violence occurs, a mental process of "enemy-making" must take place.
: How we project our own disowned traits (greed, hatred) onto the enemy to maintain our own sense of moral superiority. Propaganda as a Tool
Realize that your side is not pure, nor is their side utterly evil. Every group contains saints, sinners, and a vast middle of confused, scared, trying-to-be-decent people. As the saying goes: "The first casualty of war is truth." The second is nuance.
We live in an era of perfect polarization. The algorithms feed us a simple binary: You are good. They are evil.
ABOUT US
Steel Assault is the debut title of Zenovia Interactive, a game studio based in New York City. The team is international, consisting of Western pixel artists behind games such as Blasphemous, Japanese pixel artists from the doujin scene, and the musicians behind games such as Devil Engine and Xydonia. You can contact the team at .