Moral dimensions of the covid delusion
The need to think of ourselves as good and smart can blind us to truth.
There are probably many reasons why we meet such a wall of resistance when attempting to challenge covidians on their cherished delusions. The inability or unwillingness to face the reality of evil in the world is certainly one. Fear of the implications of the possibility that the “safe and effective” shot they took actually isn’t, is likely another.
But I think there’s another aspect that may be the strongest one in keeping Covidian cognitive dissonance in place.
People have a strong need to think of themselves as good. It is extraordinary that even habitual criminals and people who have committed the most vile deeds will justify them by any means necessary in order to maintain their perception of themselves as a good person.
It’s not simply that people have a need to think of themselves as good, they need to feel it in relation to others. Who hasn’t thought of themselves as superior to someone else, or to an entire class of people? Who hasn’t made a snap judgement about the evilness of that idiot doing something I would never do?!
Covid vaccine propaganda played on this aspect of human psychology in the most insidious way. Getting a shot was portrayed as the moral, pro-social, loving thing to do. “Anti-vaxxers” (a.k.a. those who thought for themselves, understood the risks and benefits, and made an informed choice to abstain) were painted as evil, grandma-killers, hateful, bigoted, free riders, anti-social, and on and on.
Humans are social creatures, and we maintain our social standing by conforming (or appearing to conform) to the morality of the day. Most people do not have strongly held, independent moral standards. Most people’s morality simply consists of the zeitgeist, whatever the current dominant thought pattern and ethical beliefs are. They adapt and conform in order to maintain societal acceptance and their self-perception as “good people”.
Covid propaganda exploited this human weakness. Fear of social disapproval and shunning was enough to get most people to comply, first with lockdowns and masks, then with “vaccines”. Painting those who refused the shots as ignorant idiots allowed those who lined up for them to feel superior.
Any attempt to break through with truth runs up against this problem. Think of what a dedicated covidian has to face in order to realize that they might be wrong: rather than retaining the ability to feel proud of themselves as a good member of society doing their part, they must accept that they were simply taken in by propaganda. Far from being superior because they accepted a shot, they might have to grapple with the idea that the despised anti-vaxxers were right after all.
For most people, this is an intolerable blow to their self-perception, and they simply refuse to even consider it.
Sadly, it seems that one of the main ways former covidians are forced out of this cocoon of denial is by suffering a vaccine injury that is too severe and closely connected with the shot to deny.
But this really isn’t anything new. I’ve mentioned before that the strongest resistance I’ve come up against to alternate perspectives on the covid fiasco has come from my beloved friends and family who previously were most resistant to hearing anything about Jesus or the gospel.
The reasons why are pretty much the same: accepting that the Bible might be true involves the same kind of cognitive blow as accepting that any other cherished belief entwined in your identity might be wrong. It involves a similar kind of titanic shift in worldview and beliefs. It involves the same humiliation of having to admit that you aren’t as good a person as you thought you were. It involves becoming part of a despised minority group and swimming against the cultural zeitgeist.
It’s no wonder most people won’t make that jump, either. Those who do (including myself) are often a bit like the vaccine injured in that something out of their control made spiritual reality come crashing in too strongly to be denied.
I don’t have any special insight in how to break through this wall of self-defense. Most people will only change their perceptions when they are ready, if at all. This does not mean that you should not speak truth to them. No one can come to accept a truth they are not aware of. Despite rejection and denial, your words may penetrate to some space in their brain where they remain until enough pieces come together to cause a shift.
But if a person is totally hardened and unwilling to listen at all, you may need to give up on your efforts. You tried to warn them, and if they reject it, that is on them - you have done what you could. Not everyone is capable of changing their mind, even in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Thank you for that. We have said our piece, right? They have a brain and cannot be forced to think like we do. I have to just give it to God. ♥
I’ve thought about this parallel in comparing Covid and the Gospel a lot, and I agree there’s a lot of similarities in resistance of the truth. You’ve touched beautifully on those parallels. The difference in the Gospel is our initial faith and ability to believe is enabled by the Holy Spirit, whereas Covid belief? I do think there’s a satanic component to the blindness of so many people: “the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers “. Unfortunately it seems some who would call themselves Christian have bought into the fear porn as well. At the end of the day I’m glad God is sovereign and has a plan. 😊