Every vehement political party generates a cocoon of myth, within which its mentality peacefully slumbers. Passion too often kills intellect ; in intellectuals, on the contrary, intellect not infrequently kills passion. My aim would be to avoid both these misfortunes.
Source: Bertrand Russell: On Education, especially in early childhood, 1926
More info.: https://russell-j.com/beginner/OE16-060.HTM
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Is it really possible to make "intellect and passion" coexist? As the saying goes, it is easier said than done. On this point, Soseki also expressed in Kusamakura: "If you act with intelligence, you will make enemies; if you follow your emotions, you will be swept along; if you insist on your will, you will feel constrained -- truly, life in this world is hard to live."
The coexistence of intellect and passion seems particularly difficult in the realm of politics. Politicians often repeat the same lines in election speeches, appealing to voters' emotions, and very few try to reason logically and appeal to the electorate's sense of rationality or intellect. Politicians from groups like the Osaka Ishin no Kai or the Sanseito also speak with passion, yet they seem largely unconcerned with contradictions in their statements, which creates a certain sense of unease.
Meanwhile, the mass media and commentators who frequently appear on television often say things that are uncontroversial, leaving one with a sense of kaisha-soyo -- a frustrating itch that cannot be scratched. One might say, "Then don't watch TV," but television remains indispensable for obtaining a variety of information. Among younger people, many say, "I hardly watch TV," yet there are countless things that one cannot simply plead ignorance about, and is it outdated to expect them, once informed, to shoulder at least part of the responsibility?
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