The Pen May Be Mightier Than The Sword, But Can Better Education Beat The Armies Of Deception?
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela
For a long time my world view was an amalgamation of the fiction I read, and the rap that I listened to. Between the lines, enough room was left for me by these wordsmiths to sculp and form a personal ideology, and my own way of seeing the world.
That gap also allowed ample wiggle room for misinformation and disinformation, also known as conspiracy theories. I was deep in that sunken place for a while. Every conversation I had included talk of sacrificial rituals, powerful paedophiles, and how helpless we were to stop it all. The result was a depressed life, full of high anxiety and isolation.
Embarrassingly, this didn’t really change until my mid-20’s, when fatherhood inspired me to go back to learning, even if it was at home. I picked up more books, read way more essays and articles, and watched documentaries that weren’t about Ancient Aliens or Secret Societies. Most importantly, though, I worked on myself, and knew that a decent level of self-awareness would be my shield. My interest in conspiracy facts never died, however, as I continued to be drawn by subjects such as the assassination of JFK, and MK Ultra. The difference – aided by the work done on my mental health state – was that I was no longer susceptible to the very same tactics at play in the 50’s and 60’s, the black propaganda that now had a new reach thanks to social media.
If you were shown an animation that simplified the tactics used by abusers, you would also understand the tactics used in conspiracy theories, in my opinion.
The target is the vulnerable, those who feel they have no support. The voids in society act very much like the space between the lines left by writers. George RR Martin would have you believe that “words are wind” and yet Marshall Mathers III aka Eminem would tell you that his “words are weapons.” In this situation that we find ourselves in, those behind the disinformation campaigns across the world use a message that lies between both statements. Their statements are loose and flimsy enough to be disregarded or forgotten entirely, and yet they can also be used to attack.
The pen mentioned in the title is not the pen of a revolutionary writer, however. My intention in this article is to declare that we have to educate ourselves as a nation. In its innate Britishness, the UK has tried to portray a perfect picture on the world stage. A leader in democracy and values on the face of it. Those of us who have ever had to survive within society’s gaps have never been fooled, and social media has also aided the rise of those who are willing to highlight the hypocrisy. If we were to invest in education comprised of diverse British stories, concerns, triumphs, and cultures, then in a short amount of time our lands would not only be more understanding, but more open to each other. Out of this would come compassion, but also a collective respect, wisdom and ambition.
Social media has created realities in which only our emotions matter, and an article isn’t necessarily important because it is accurate, but because it makes the point we want made. This is dangerous because choosing a side no matter what means you can turn a blind eye to anything your “team” does, regardless of how terrible they may behave. This is evident in the Republicans who have blindly followed Donald Trump, despite his actions constantly and consistently contradicting their previous beliefs and morals.
The science that studies social psychology tells us that this is due to self-verification being a major factor in how we favour others. Those who have been deemed to be part of a group that we perceive ourselves to be a part of will be seen more favourably in our eyes, and the opposite is usually true for those we deem to be outside of our supposed team. With this knowledge, we can try to transcend these innate social urges, and I truly believe systemwide schooling on all levels of society would be necessary to overcome centuries of procedure.
What would it look like? I am not certain of that, it would admittedly take more experienced, better minds to actually come up with the processes of the whole thing. I do, however, know that it would need to be accessible, and perhaps even fun. A good way to do this would be to empower the comedians, writers, and performers who are usually overlooked, and generally are left to carve their own paths to success.
Using the talents and wit of these British geniuses would open up the opportunity to reach and engage people in a way in which education has traditionally failed. I remember the teachers who made me laugh, and the ones who asked us to do Psychological Reports on characters, instead of boring character biographies. If we think outside of the box, we can never be trapped inside of it.
One thing that is for certain and should be guaranteed is the necessity to teach children and adults alike how to recognize and deal with changes in mental health, as well as critical thinking. While you’re at it, explain investments, banking systems and taxes to working class and marginalized kids for good measure.
How does any of this this relate to conspiracy theories, I hear you ask. Well, research published in the Journal of Individual Differences showed that the most susceptible to conspiracy theories were people who were more suspicious and who had a need to feel special. Seeing the world as a desperately dangerous place to live also seemingly plays a role. With teachings about how those who spread disinformation use this knowledge to attract those who are vulnerable, people in our society will grow up with an awareness of not only the tactics used by deceivers, but also of their own flaws and weaknesses. In this way we can prepare to never end up in this situation again, where our conversations have been so chaotic and unproductive, tainted by tribal tactics.
The world – and the Universe it sits in – is vast, and chaotic. This obviously can make us feel tiny in comparison, but comparison itself only leads to insecurity. Insecurity, in turn, leads to the gaps in society where predators roam. The remedy, in my opinion, is to create your own meaning, because you are what you do at the end of the day. When your sun sets, your words will be nothing compared to what you chose to do with your energy. In contrast, if you fill your consciousness with tales of evil and pain, there is only a slim chance that you will be able to cherish a sunset, or make new connections with people. In short, you limit your human experience.
Revolution can come in many forms, and through education and art, I believe that we can change the type of tomorrow our children grow up into.