I’d like to talk about Eric Blair.

Sorry. Most of you know him as George Orwell. That was his pen name.

Given these crazy times, we hear the terms 1984 and Orwellian thrown around constantly.

So let’s dive into what these actually mean, because most people get it wrong.

Most assume Orwellian means an authoritarian regime.

Mass surveillance is often described as Orwellian.

But this isn’t the case. What is Orwellian is the deceptive and manipulative use of language.

Most are familiar with 1984, but another must read Orwell essay is Politics and the English Language, written in 1946.

In this essay Orwell describes political language as a tool to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.

1984 isn’t about an authoritarian regime. It’s about words and how words shape thoughts.

Double speak are words that don’t convey the true meaning of a word, but instead corrupt them

They make atrocities sound acceptable by using fancy words and convoluted language.

Orwell warned this could happen in democratic societies.

And it is.

We are constantly being bombarded with words designed to appeal to us.

Political sound bites are crafted perfectly.

Even in everyday conversation we use catchphrases and buzzwords from the internet.

We don’t think. We don’t question anything.

So yes we are living in an Orwellian society. But it’s not because of mass surveillance or any of that.

It’s because of our language being used as propaganda.

Orwell warned us. Words are powerful.

Use yours wisely.