I’ve spent the last few years devouring Soviet history. Books, papers, blog posts, podcasts, all of it. I can’t get enough. Not to brag, but I do feel as though I’ve achieved a certain level of understanding about the USSR, its history, and eventual collapse. But I’ve also put the work in.
And yet, whenever I engage people I know IRL or online, I’m amazed by how doggedly people will defend what they just inherently “know”: that the Soviet Union was an evil totalitarian authority dictatorship that killed 100 million of its own people and eventually collapsed because communism never works. None of these people (at least the people I know IRL) have learned anything about Soviet history beyond maybe a couple days of lectures and a textbook chapter in high school history classes. Like, I get that this is the narrative that nearly every American holds in their heads. The fact that people believe this isn’t surprising. But what is a little surprising to me is that, when confronted with a challenge to that narrative from someone they know has always loved history and has bothered to learn more, they dig their heels in and insist they are right and I am wrong.
This isn’t about me, I’m just sharing my experience with this. I’m just amazed at how Americans will be completely ignorant about a topic (not just the USSR) but will be utterly convinced their views on that topic are correct, despite their own lack of investigation into that topic. This is the same country where tens of millions of people think dinosaurs and humans walked around together and will not listen to what any “scientist” has to say about it, after all.
This is true for most things in most places tbh. Just a direct aversion to really learning about anything because they half remember a high school history class, or slowly had an idea beaten into their heads through passive consumption of media, or someone they respect told them something once, or saw a meme, or at best a documentary at some point. A catchy but simplistic understanding is easier and preferable to most. Actually studying, reading, researching and being open to rethink what you thought you knew is rare.
It's especially annoying and pervasive in politics and history as pop media primarily exists to reinforce the dominant ideology. We got access to all the information we could possibly consume, but most engage with only the surface, with what is funneled into your mouth at high speed.
People get really set in their ways regarding that sort of folk wisdom. Sometimes on purpose. Really irritating, especially in the face of a more complex reality (or a reality that outright contradicts what they know).
Yeah, 100%. I get it though, its a way easier way to live tbh. A true grillpill.
I strive to make them feel bad in spite of their steadfast refusal to get serious or fuck off
As Marx would have wanted