1984

           Thefirstandsimpleststageinthediscipline,whichcanbetaughteventoyoungchildren,iscalled,inNewspeak,CRIMESTOP. CRIMESTOPmeansthefacultyofstoppingshort,asthoughbyinstinct,atthethresholdofanydangerousthought. Itincludesthepowerofnotgraspinganalogies,offailingtoperceivelogicalerrors,ofmisunderstandingthesimplestargumentsiftheyareinimicaltoIngsoc,andofbeingboredorrepelledbyanytrainofthoughtwhichiscapableofleadinginahereticaldirection. CRIMESTOP,inshort,meansprotectivestupidity. Butstupidityisnotenough. Onthecontrary,orthodoxyinthefullsensedemandsacontroloverone’sownmentalprocessesascompleteasthatofacontortionistoverhisbody. OceanicsocietyrestsultimatelyonthebeliefthatBigBrotherisomnipotentandthatthePartyisinfallible. ButsinceinrealityBigBrotherisnotomnipotentandthepartyisnotinfallible,thereisneedforanunwearying,moment-to-momentflexibilityinthetreatmentoffacts. ThekeywordhereisBLACKWHITE. LikesomanyNewspeakwords,thiswordhastwomutuallycontradictorymeanings. Appliedtoanopponent,itmeansthehabitofimpudentlyclaimingthatblackiswhite,incontradictionoftheplainfacts. AppliedtoaPartymember,itmeansaloyalwillingnesstosaythatblackiswhitewhenPartydisciplinedemandsthis. ButitmeansalsotheabilitytoBELIEVEthatblackiswhite,andmore,toKNOWthatblackiswhite,andtoforgetthatonehaseverbelievedthecontrary. Thisdemandsacontinuousalterationofthepast,madepossiblebythesystemofthoughtwhichreallyembracesalltherest,andwhichisknowninNewspeakasDOUBLETHINK. 

           Thealterationofthepastisnecessaryfortworeasons,oneofwhichissubsidiaryand,sotospeak,precautionary. ThesubsidiaryreasonisthatthePartymember,liketheproletarian,toleratespresent-dayconditionspartlybecausehehasnostandardsofcomparison.