INDOCTRINATION

As a follow-up on our political concepts, this week I would like to talk about a word we rarely think about but should always be aware of:

Indoctrination…

What is indoctrination? Indoctrination as a noun is the process of conditioning someone or a group of people to think or behave in a certain way that they will not question. Unlike education which promotes critical thinking, indoctrination actively discourages it and does so, often in very subtle ways.

The reason I picked this topic is as our country’s political stances get more and more divided with no end in sight. It is important to realize why some people might be so entrenched in their views that no evidence or argument seems to change or even question their stance. This of course makes any meaningful debate very difficult.

This is caused by various methods, deliberate or not, that made those views cornerstones of who they are. Should those views be challenged, they take it as a personal attack. You might have seen examples of this in the past, with very nice or even very smart people turning most unreasonable when their ideology is questioned. This is a very dangerous and anti-intellectual phenomenon that must be cured. However, the only thing you can do is point it out to the person, as politely as possible, so that they can build themselves on solid ground, hopefully.

As Yuri Bezmenov, a former KGB agent told in his lectures, the goal of malicious sedition is to create these ideologues that he termed “Useful idiots.” These are people who have been so indoctrinated in communist ideology that they will not question it, accepting it even in the face of damning evidence or as he likes to call it, “until the new government puts them down to establish stability.” I would strongly suggest looking up his lectures on YouTube, it gives you an idea of why all the turmoil on our college campuses today, as well as the rise of communist thought on the college or university campuses today.

However, not all indoctrination is deliberate. We sometimes, without realizing it, indoctrinate ourselves into certain beliefs and start defending the indefensible, and with no awareness. The first step is to realize this and shake out of it. The second step is to learn and develop new foundations for your worldview.

Never be afraid of questioning the most fundamental “truths” that we see, no matter how popular or unpopular they are. Of course, the media has realized it is easier to indoctrinate groups over individuals. Just remember the words of Plato in this regard:

“It is a sign of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it.”