demoralization

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Demoralization is a process by which an actor tries to break the psychological resilience of an opponent through the use of psychological pressure or violence.

Demoralization is consciously applied - for example as a result of strategic or tactical decisions in military combat situations (example: liquidation of a manager), in sport and in the world of work - but also unconsciously in many competitive situations.

The benefit of demoralization lies in the fact that the costs of a victory - and this is what competitive situations are all about - decrease for the applying actor, as the opponent increasingly questions his own strength and thus loses its resilience.

Examples

During the Second World War the British used individual bombers, among other things. They flew over numerous villages and towns and dropped bombs for no military purpose. The aim was to demoralize the population through the frequent air alarms.