I realize, now, that totalitarianism is primarily a societywide delusion that enables despots to flourish with power. This is the opposite of my beliefs before. I used to think that it was the despots who used their power to create the totalitarian society.

The innate goodness and beauty in all people becomes hijacked by terrible ideas. Willing participants believing in the truth of the idea then create a burgeoning inhumanity masquerading as virtue, and they execute it systematically.

It is a simple fact I had never considered: a deluded person is perfectly capable of applying their delusion rationally. One-way grocery aisles, masked toddlers, and vaccine segregation are all rational applications of what most now see as the mistaken Covid ideology.

Rationalization allows participants to maintain the delusion even in the face of massive contradictory evidence. The personal investment is often enhanced by performance of often bizarre new rituals. The rituals work to reinforce the investment and lead to the expression of rage when challenged — rage even towards those closest to them.