Great essay, something Id thought about myself. There’s so much at work in such a simple concept, like the packaging of ready made ideology to people as being a ‘free-thinker’ - the total opposite of the brainwashed archetype, the free thinker by their virtuous and intellectual nature alone sees through what the gawking rabble cannot. Don’t be a brainwashed, be a free thinker! We’re all free thinkers over here! At the end of the day, the human capacity to ascertain the truth is dubious, and ALWAYS reliant on what other people are saying. That’s just part of the equation. And it’s when you’re in denial about it that you’re the most susceptible to propaganda. It’s such a convenient feature of Individualism for those trying to push capitalist ideology.