Inconsistent

George Orwell understood humanity and the power of misinformation to control many people. Born at the turn of the 20th century in what was then British colonial India to parents who aspired to social status, he began to absorb from an early age how people conducted themselves in bizarre ways once they held increasing levels of power.

After seeing the front lines in the Spanish Civil War and witnessing the way it was reported on, he realized the power of propaganda and its ability to rewrite history. He also concluded that the elites were blinded by their thirst for power and found that ordinary people tended to possess more wisdom and emotional intelligence. 

This is what later prompted him to write "Animal Farm" and his even more famous "1984". The term Orwellian has become folklore and is regularly used to describe events and movements which are dystopic in nature. 

That people can be manipulated is not remotely in question, but what fascinates me most is how supposedly educated people can fall prey to caustic ideas. Yes, we understand that a profession does not give you insight into all topics but in theory exposure to critical thinking should help us to develop analytical skills to apply to other spheres. 

I have argued with ex-colleagues about political, philosophical and religious issues and have often come away dumbfounded. There is a conclusion reached in their mind beforehand which then impacts their reasoning. They look for evidence that suits their case rather than examine the topic from all angles. 

We all have blinders to some extent and, if we seek truth, we should want to work on them. 

I watched a video recently where a psychiatrist analyzed the allegiance to Trumpism by evangelical Christians where he proposed that if the person's childhood had been very emphatically black and white, they would be more likely to favor his authoritarian style. According to him, this would explain how they could disregard Trump"s odious and criminal nature by focusing more on his method of autocratic governance. Subtle greys don't work for these people and, despite his obvious flaunting of Christ's message of charity and forgiveness, they fall for his messaging. 

I think he is right and it is why we all must be careful to apply critical thinking to our belief system. To do otherwise, exposes us to extremist views where contradictions exist side by side and force us into convoluted logic.