Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: You know, it's weird, right? Some books, they just don't quit. They stick around like a bad dream. And the more things change, the more those books seem to be talking about. Well, and now, w. Yeah, I get you. Like 1984, we got flooded with requests to deep dive on that one, and I totally see why.
[00:00:17] Speaker B: Right? It's everywhere you turn.
[00:00:19] Speaker A: It's one thing to know the headlines, you know, big brother and all that, but let's get into why Orwell's world still makes people so uneasy all these years later.
[00:00:28] Speaker B: It's interesting you say that, because when Orwell was writing it, he wasn't trying to write, you know, science fiction.
[00:00:33] Speaker A: Oh, really?
[00:00:34] Speaker B: It was more a reflection of what he saw going on in his time, those totalitarian regimes. And the video essay, the one we're looking at, 1984. Tried to warn you.
[00:00:44] Speaker A: Yeah, this one's pretty direct.
[00:00:45] Speaker B: It really argues he was tapping into something bigger, like something about human nature itself and control.
[00:00:54] Speaker A: So, how does this essay tackle that? Does it, like, jump right into the whole surveillance state thing?
[00:00:59] Speaker B: Well, it goes straight for this idea that real control isn't just about force. It's about messing with how you see the world. Remember Winston Smith, the main guy, right? Works at the Ministry of Truth, literally rewriting history. The essay says, that's the insidious part. You know, not the jackboots, but making you doubt your own memories, your own eyes.
[00:01:20] Speaker A: That's a mind trip, man.
[00:01:21] Speaker B: It really is.
[00:01:22] Speaker A: And it's almost like nowadays, with all the information overload, it's like everyone's got a different version of the truth.
[00:01:28] Speaker B: Exactly. That's the connection the essay makes. It brings up newsbeak, that whole thing in 1984 where the party's trying to shrink the language, like, literally make it impossible to even think certain things.
[00:01:39] Speaker A: Control the words, control the thoughts. Didn't they link that to modern day censorship?
[00:01:43] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. They talked about the whole roald Dahl thing.
[00:01:46] Speaker A: Oh, right, right. With his books.
[00:01:48] Speaker B: And, yeah, some people wanted to edit out stuff that might offend modern readers. But then, get this. A report in the UK called 1984 itself. Extremist.
Talk about irony, right? Whoo.
[00:02:02] Speaker A: That's messed up on so many levels. So it's not just the big stuff, right. Like, the essay even talked about how in Oceania, they can't even garden.
[00:02:09] Speaker B: Exactly. They use that as an example of how the party wants to control every tiny bit of your life, even what you grow. They even brought up some stuff happening in China where people got in trouble for growing their own food. It's like these little rules, they seem small, but they add up to you depending on the state for everything.
[00:02:24] Speaker A: It's like they're tightening the screws on what it means to just dot live. I mean, it's one thing to read about it in a book and be like, oh, that's messed up. But when you start to see those echoes in the real world, that's up. When it gets real, that's when it gets a little too close for comfort. So are we really headed for this dystopian world? Like, are we actually on the road to becoming Ushina?
[00:02:45] Speaker B: Well, that's the question, isn't it? And the essay, it brings up this really wild idea called the noble lie.
[00:02:52] Speaker A: The noble lie. Okay, now you have to explain that one, because I have no idea.
[00:02:55] Speaker B: So it's this old idea, right? Like, way old. It says that sometimes whole societies, they're built on these shared illusions, these noble lies. But it's not always, like, sinister or anything. Sometimes these illusions, they give people a sense of order, a feeling of meaning, even if they're nothing, you know, completely true.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: So it's like a collective delusion?
[00:03:17] Speaker B: Kind of like we all agree on a story, even if it's got some holes in it, because it makes us feel better, safer.
[00:03:23] Speaker A: Right, right. Okay, I can see that. But where does it go wrong?
[00:03:27] Speaker B: Well, that's where it gets interesting. The essay says it goes sideways when the people in charge, they start twisting those stories, using them to control everyone else.
[00:03:37] Speaker A: Okay, so not so noble anymore.
[00:03:39] Speaker B: Exactly. And they connect that to another idea, the habitus.
[00:03:42] Speaker A: Habitus. Sounds like something I should know, but.
[00:03:45] Speaker B: It'S simpler than it sounds, I promise. Think of it like this. The habitus is like the unspoken rules of the game. You know, the stuff we just take for granted about how the world works, how we should act. It's all those underlying beliefs we have.
[00:03:59] Speaker A: So the noble lie is the story we tell, and the habitus is how that story gets stuck in our heads, how it shapes us.
[00:04:05] Speaker B: You got it. And in 1984, the really scary thing is the party. They haven't just told a story. They've changed the whole habitus. They decide what's true, what people remember, even what they believe about themselves.
[00:04:20] Speaker A: It's like being trapped in someone else's dream. And this essay is saying this is happening right now.
[00:04:25] Speaker B: It's making a case for it, that's for sure. Like, it brings up some pretty unsettling stuff about economic control. You know, how wealth inequality has gotten completely insane to. Especially since the pandemic don't even get me started.
[00:04:36] Speaker A: It's like the more things fall apart, the richer the super rich get. It's nuts, right?
[00:04:41] Speaker B: And the essay, it points to things like those statistics about how much wealth has gone to the very top while everyone else is struggling.
[00:04:49] Speaker A: It's like something out of, well, 1984, except it's not fiction. What else did they talk about?
[00:04:54] Speaker B: Well, they get into the whole technology thing, social media especially.
[00:04:57] Speaker A: Okay, yeah, I could see where this is going.
[00:04:59] Speaker B: They argue that it's not just that we're all addicted to our phones. Its that theyre designed that way on purpose.
[00:05:06] Speaker A: Oh, come on. We all know thats true, right? Its like theyre engineered to keep us hooked on those little dopamine hits. Meanwhile, the real worlds gone crazy, right?
[00:05:14] Speaker B: So theyre saying its like a tool to keep us distracted, maybe even to control us.
[00:05:19] Speaker A: Its wild, right? Economic inequality, social media, it all ties back to 1984. Its like theyre playing us. And the worst part is, were playing along. So we're basically screwed, right? Like, what's the point? They're controlling the story. They're controlling what we do, what we think.
[00:05:36] Speaker B: Well, hold on a second. That feeling you're having, that hopelessness, that's exactly what they want.
[00:05:42] Speaker A: So what are we supposed to do?
[00:05:43] Speaker B: See the essay? It actually offers some hope. And get this, it comes from the book of job. Wait, what?
[00:05:49] Speaker A: The Bible?
[00:05:50] Speaker B: How does that even really interesting connection. They compare job to Winston, the main guy in 1984. They're saying both of them, they get slammed with the truth, forced to see how messed up the world really is.
All his family, everything he owns, even his health. And it makes him question why bad things happen, you know?
[00:06:07] Speaker A: Yeah, I kind of remember that story.
[00:06:09] Speaker B: And Winston, when he finally figures out what the party's really about, they torture him for it. Both of them. They have this innocence shattered, this idea they had about the world just gone.
[00:06:19] Speaker A: So what's the takeaway? We all just end up miserable and tortured?
[00:06:23] Speaker B: No, no, not at all. The point the essay is making is this.
It's not about avoiding the bad stuff, pretending it's not there. It's about how you face it. See, when we just tune it all out, the injustice, the pain, the stuff that's just plain wrong, we're just making.
[00:06:37] Speaker A: It easier for the bad guys to win.
[00:06:39] Speaker B: Exactly. We're playing right into their hands. But when we wake up, when we see it for what it is, that's when we can actually fight back.
[00:06:46] Speaker A: Okay, so it's like knowing the truth hurts, but it's also what sets us free.
[00:06:51] Speaker B: Exactly. And here's the thing. The essay says we're going into this crazy time, like a turning point in history, kind of like in 1984. And what we decide now, it's gonna shape everything. It's not just some story in a book anymore. It's our lives.
[00:07:05] Speaker A: So we're not powerless. Even with all this stuff going on.
[00:07:08] Speaker B: No way. We've got more power than we realize. Yeah, and that's the thing to remember. You know, we get to close, but it does make you wonder, right under what? Well, the essay focuses on fighting the big, big brother out there. The systems, the powers that be. But what about the big brother we carry around inside ourselves? How much of this are we actually contributing to?
[00:07:27] Speaker A: Oh, that's deep. Like, are we part of the problem without even realizing it? Definitely something to think about. So there you have it. 1984. More relevant than ever and a whole lot to unpack. It's not just about a dystopian future. It's about the choices we make every single day, right here, right now. And that's what we need to remember. Thanks for joining us for this deep dive. Until next time, stay curious.
