“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” George Orwell, 1984
Here’s where things get tricky. “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command,” is one of the most cited quotes from 1984, usually meant to signify the speaker’s practical common sense.
The trouble is that the world is far less simple – or as concrete – as when George Orwell was writing 1984 in the ’40s. Technology and social media makes it easy to see lies and half truths and believe them without doubling down on validating.
To move forward, you need to learn to trust both your eyes and you brain. When there is evidence, you have a leg up. When there are only words, you need to do your best to educate yourself to make sure you see clearly and decide for yourself whether to believe them or not.
And once you see someone lie to you about something, know they are either intentionally trying to deceive or either incapable of identifying truth. When they show you what they are, believe them the first time.
We should all remember Alex Pretti. Watch the video. Is he a citizen protecting a woman who was murdered in state-sanctioned violence or a terrorist who shouldn’t have had the right to bear arms: the very right specifically enshrined in our constitution to prevent sponsored violence.
And if you believe the former, look back at everyone who said the contrary. You cannot trust this propagandist, unwitting or otherwise – they might be right sometimes (although it might also be convenient lies), but not when it counts.
Reflect on what they say; how much does it benefit the State by either directly increasing its power by encouraging you to blame others vs…them? Coincidence or convenient lie? Find someone else to trust.