I'm referring to the term "Big Lie," coined by Hitler and first mentioned (apparently) in his favourite pastime fantasy book Mein Kampf, which he wrote during his time not enough spent in jail. The concept revolves around creating a doubtful atmosphere in the reality surrounding unsettled people, particularly during harsh times. The idea is that by sowing enough confusion, individuals become vulnerable to taking the first wrong action, which then leads to a cascade of subsequent actions and reactions. This cycle draws them deeper into an inescapable predicament, where they feel too ashamed to admit their mistakes. Consequently, they often find themselves compelled to continue down the wrong path, deepening the damaging effects on themselves and others.
To compensate on their wrong doings - they "truly" see things the wrong way, which in a very distorted way - fits perfectly helping to justify their actions. People who began cooperating with Hitler's devious ideas would slowly and surely find themselves getting tangled in a chain of lies.
Their bad judgment and actions, deriving from seeing "things" the wrong way (or the opposite) only made things worse with every passing step and stage of their way, and all others who will suffer from this subsequently.
A famous quote constantly appears in various social media platforms and opportunities goes like this: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie."
I will get to the second part, the underlined one in the end...
(By the way, I was surprised to discover that it is only 'allegedly' attributed to Goebbels, (since I have seen him mentioned beside this quote numerous times...) but that doesn't concern me, for the idea I wish to share.)
In my "The Bigger Picture" workshops, I illustrate this phenomena by using the concept of the Camera Obscuraâa technique known and used for centuries, predating the invention of photography.
The Camera Obscura involves creating a replica of the outside world within a darkened box, room, or tent. This ancient method was employed by painters who utilized the dim light entering the space to trace and replicate a two-dimensional image of the external reality.
We simply build a huge 'Camera Obscure' with them, in our classroom, during the activity experiential-part of the lesson in which we get to realise that our brain has been "lying" to us for years, and we've stopped paying attention to the simple yet dramatic fact which is: Up-is Down, Left is Right - our eyes have been producing this inverted image to our brain for so long - we've got used to it by now - thus - "getting used to lies"
The view outside the classroom
The participants blocking the light all but through the "pinhole"
Last chance to see the "truth as we knew it"...
And there it is - in all its glory - the lie told repeatedly through our eyes, since we were born. The truth reveals itself - every tlit object coming through our eye holes - looks like this - upside-down and left side right!
Our brain needs a few weeks to get used to this lie which doesn't seem to coincide with our physical experience - and we learn to ignore it, adjusting our behavior against our basic instincts, adapting this 'new reality' and moving on, with out giving it any extra thought, once we get used to it.
If you have newborn babies nearby, you can observe this phenomenon in the making.
Despite their initial difficulty with focusing and identifying objects, they are capable of perceiving blurry shadows and light. You can try walking between them and a windowâcasting a shadow will momentarily cause the baby to look in the "wrong" direction. However, their pupils will gradually adjust and correct themselves naturally, without requiring any extra thought or effort, they learn to react differently with the new truth they have encountered enough times to create this fix.
The main thing I like to take from this trick is that it's not just 'lies' we get used to if repeated, it can be 'truths', it be everything!
Just establish the reality you want - by repeating it. There is more "good" than "bad" in the human race - as simplified as it sounds, so go ahead :-)
Trust Goebbels and his evil team of friends to negatively paint everything, just like any other fascists or any other evil pursuing selfish group one might encounter in the past, present or future - they will lie again and again, until enough people get used to their lies.
On the optimistic side of things - is the second part of the initial quote their lies will start to crumble when they fail to keep creating the environment which supports their lies.
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