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A review by shreyas1599
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
5.0
I cannot believe I held off on reading 1984 for as long as I have. Everything about this book just feels like a reality in some places on Earth and a near-future reality in some other places on Earth.
There cannot be a more apt time and age in terms of technology where Big Brother watching all over us is a distant reality. The old adage of "I have nothing to hide so I don't care if I am being watched or not" - no one can live by that anymore. Everyone has something or the other to hide. No matter how inconsequential, everyone has a pain point that can be exploited to tune their behaviour in a manner to the liking of Big Brother or whoever else is watching. There's just no hiding place left anywhere.
There were several portions I had to highlight throughout the book, but none resonated more than this:
"What knowledge have we of anything, save through our own minds? All happenings are in the mind. Whatever happens in all minds, truly happens"
Propaganda and disinformation campaigns are easier than ever. Everyone lives in their own sweet little bubble on the internet, and feeding off their existing worldviews and preconceived notions is as easy as it has ever been. The deeper one sinks into their bubble, the harder it becomes for them to come off the reverie. In fact, one does not come out of their trance. They find ways to twist facts and reality to conform to the view of the world that they have built for themselves. In fact, what is even a fact? There is no more objective reality. There's just what happens in the mind and what one considers to be a fact conforming to their bubble.
The future is bleak and there's no shying away from it. The end is nigh and there's nothing that can be done about it but to enjoy what's left of it while there's still time.
There cannot be a more apt time and age in terms of technology where Big Brother watching all over us is a distant reality. The old adage of "I have nothing to hide so I don't care if I am being watched or not" - no one can live by that anymore. Everyone has something or the other to hide. No matter how inconsequential, everyone has a pain point that can be exploited to tune their behaviour in a manner to the liking of Big Brother or whoever else is watching. There's just no hiding place left anywhere.
There were several portions I had to highlight throughout the book, but none resonated more than this:
"What knowledge have we of anything, save through our own minds? All happenings are in the mind. Whatever happens in all minds, truly happens"
Propaganda and disinformation campaigns are easier than ever. Everyone lives in their own sweet little bubble on the internet, and feeding off their existing worldviews and preconceived notions is as easy as it has ever been. The deeper one sinks into their bubble, the harder it becomes for them to come off the reverie. In fact, one does not come out of their trance. They find ways to twist facts and reality to conform to the view of the world that they have built for themselves. In fact, what is even a fact? There is no more objective reality. There's just what happens in the mind and what one considers to be a fact conforming to their bubble.
The future is bleak and there's no shying away from it. The end is nigh and there's nothing that can be done about it but to enjoy what's left of it while there's still time.