QOTD – from the guy that coined the word “menticide” in 1933

“One important result of this procedure [use psychological torture and mental manipulation while pushing for a “confession” and public show trial] is the great confusion it creates in the mind of every observer, friend or foe. In the end no one knows how to distinguish truth from falsehood. The totalitarian potentate, in order to break down the mind of men, first needs widespread mental chaos and verbal confusion, because both paralyze his opposition and cause the morale of the enemy to deteriorate – unless his adversaries are aware of the dictator’s real aim.”

From “The Rape of the Mind: The Psychology of Thought Control, Menticide, and Brainwashing” by Joost A. M. Meerloo, first published in 1933

This explains the true damage “PC” speak and the language police really pose. It’s a fascinating book in many ways, and I’m not that far into it yet. It really hammers home the idea of “if you are accused of being [non-PC], never apologize, never back down, never quit (force them to fire you).”

I’m reading this book at the time – one of several I’m slowing slogging through, along with the Gulag Archipelago. Combine with “SJWs Always Lie” by Vox Day, and two recent articles on victim culture, microaggression, and “trigger warning,” ( http://righteousmind.com/where-microaggressions-really-come-from/  http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/ ) it’s awful easy to get depressed at just how messed up, and how mentally fragile, humans are. On one hand, these ideas explain so much of human history and current political events that it is scary, and understanding opens all sorts of doors; the fact that such ideas are all now known to me is potentially very useful. On the other hand, the fact that the people that need to know what’s being done to them are the ones that need to know this the most, and are going to be the most resistant to hearing it, and will tend to make the problems worse, is terrifying.

Added after initial post: Short version of the articles: a phobia is an irrational fear, usually treated with desensitization therapy – gradually exposing them to larger and larger “doses” of the things they are afraid of. If it’s heights, start with a single stair at the far end of the hall, then two stairs, then closer to one stair with a good hand-rail handy, etc. When nothing goes wrong, they are gradually desensitized. “Trigger warnings” and “micro-aggressions” are when the same psychology is pushed the other way, and they become hyper-sensitive to even the most innocuous things, until they become paralyzed with stressing over trivial “offenses” and “slights.” The “victim culture” is a toxic combination of the “honor culture” and bureaucracy, where vying for being offended when you can/must hand off the dealing with it to a third-party bureaucrat whose job depends on believing the victim. In other words, there is no cost to “offended” to claim offense (unlike in the old days where a duel might have no winners, and were thus motivated to be polite – now people are motivated to be both terrified and easily offended). It’s the result of too much “safe” and “play nice” and “no real danger.” It’s sort of the psychological equivalent of an auto-immune disorder, where a healthy normal fear of danger and desire of being properly respected becomes a crippling chronic terror and narcissistic levels of undeserved self-esteem.

Both articles and all the books are well worth reading.

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