If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
George OrwellRead
We are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue, and then, when we are finally proved wrong, impudently twisting the facts so as to show that we were right.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humans often hold onto false beliefs and can manipulate reality to justify them.
George Orwell highlights a fundamental aspect of human nature: our ability to believe in things that are not true and to construct narratives that defend those beliefs when confronted with contrary evidence. This phenomenon reflects not only our desire for self-preservation and validation but also the complexity of human cognition and the challenges of accepting truth.
Themes
BeliefTruthCognitionHuman NatureEvidence
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about misinformation, one might use the quote to illustrate how people cling to falsehoods.
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Political writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child's Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
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Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards.
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As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
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