Brainwashing

 

We’re all heavily brainwashed. We think we aren’t, but we are. We almost entirely agree with and accept whatever our family, friends, teachers, and society say and do. We disagree with and reject some of it, yes, but these are mostly side issues or trivia. And we almost completely allow the indoctrinators to frame the debate, set the context, and point us in the general direction.

The brainwashers are also careful to puff us up, and tell us how smart and good we are, as we inadvertently, but obediently, toe their line. And it’s precisely the fact that we proudly and defiantly fancy ourselves untouched, uncorrupted, and unbrainwashable, that makes us such intellectually helpless and defenseless victims.

Humans are wildly adaptable. Even if we grow up or live in Hell, we easily embrace it, like it, and consider everything in our awful world to be quite normal, natural, unremarkable, and good. Oh, there may be a few things we damn, and have personal or social disputes about, in this hellacious society, philosophy, culture, and lifestyle. But mostly it seems fine to us, or even wonderful.

Similarly, if we grow up or live in Paradise, we easily, blithely, casually accept it, and consider everything in our heavenly world to be quite normal, natural, boring, and nothing to get excited about or be impressed by. Yes, it’s all quite nice, perhaps. But if we see just one more person leap for joy or dance with delight we’re gonna shoot ourselves.

Ultimately, all us unfoolable, savvy, brave, heroic rebels and revolutionaries are much more docile, compliant, and submissive than we realize. The accidental and deliberate brainwashing and indoctrination inflicted upon us by our family, friends, teachers, and society is much more effective and dominant than we suppose.