Why Propaganda Makes the Unthinkable Seem Normal

The idea is described as a window: at any given moment, only what falls inside it can be discussed publicly. Everything beyond the edge sounds outrageous, not because it is forbidden, but because people feel ashamed to say it.

The window shifts gradually. First, someone on the fringe, whom people can choose not to take seriously, voices the unthinkable. Then it is discussed as an exotic idea, then as one position among others, and finally as reasonable caution.

Ordinary habituation works, too. The first report of something outrageous causes an outburst; the tenth causes fatigue. Attention is limited, and a constant stream of messages dulls the reaction all by itself.

What matters is that the scale can move in both directions. The same is true of things now considered unquestionably right: seat belts, bans on smoking indoors, and attitudes toward corporal punishment.

That is also how you can notice the shift. Compare it not with last month, but with the last decade: short steps look reasonable one by one, and only the long view shows how far you have come.