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RE: The Origins and Meaning of Doublespeak and Fake News
I would love for you to have a 1984 themed conversation with Ryan. I would love to be a fly on the wall of that message box.
I am also wondering if "doublethink" also applies to the chaotic state of mind that has resulted from the glut of conflicting information that fills the news cycle. One issue can't be digested/understood because something new pops up to take the attention. It's absolutely constant here. For me, it's not a 2+2=5 problem; it's a who the hell is telling the truth if anyone? It is exhausting!
I have other thoughts but I will start here.
Invite Ryan. Bring it on :)
Your question about the glut of information is one I came across in the '90s: whether the Orwellian nightmare we face in this day and age is the result of intentional propaganda or just too many sources. I think both are true, especially when you have mainstream media publishing provably false reports and then labeling as "fake news" independent journalists actually trying to uncover the truth. How can the modern human not be confused? Of course, Mark Twain is credited with saying about the mainstream media at his time that, “If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.” So, the idea has been around for quite a while. At any rate, it is incumbent upon us to use our reasoning and intuitive skills to sort through all the crap. Sometimes, we just come across a source that screams out "THIS IS THE TRUTH WRIT LARGE," and we pay more attention to it. Still, cognitive dissonance and normalcy bias also have to be kept in mind, of course, which make it all a bit murkier -- and more interesting to try to wade through. "Knowing Thyself," perhaps, is the answer to it all.