Deconstructing the Orwellian Society

Orwellian‘Round the internet and sometimes even within the confines of Holistic Survival, one sees a reference to something as being “Orwellian.” Most people with a hazy memory of high school English could peg the word as relating to influential English writer, George Orwell, but others might not give a flying rat’s rear end about the word; they just want to bring down Big Government. Whoa there, big boy. Simmer down for minute.

Ignorance is not a crime but refusing to fix it should be.

Here’s a quick primer on “Orwellian.” The term refers to a recurring theme in Mr. Orwell’s books, specifically Animal Farm and 1984, the latter from which the adjective Orwellian arises, a book depicting how the government controls thought by controlling language and making certain ideas literally unthinkable – a society where the citizens are kept docile through the dissemination of misinformation and a supreme dictator known as Big Brother watches over everyone, even within the “privacy” of one’s home.

The word Orwellian is not a intended to be complimentary in any sense. Now when you see it tossed around the internet you’ll know exactly what it refers to. Next on our list of most popular paranoid references is “Machiavellian,” but that’s a topic for another day. Who’s to say what paranoid really is anyway? Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean people aren’t out to get you.

The Holistic Survival Team

Holistic Survival

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