I went to a Christian university (though one with a reputation among other Christian schools for being "liberal," or so I was told). My dad has recently informed me that I was brainwashed by "that liberal philosophy crap." Hmm, that's funny. I thought presenting someone with information from different perspectives and expecting them to come to their own conclusions was the opposite of brainwashing...or was that idea brainwashed into me too? I really don't feel brainwashed. That must be part of the deception.
According to Wikipedia (as all of my professors cringe), brainwashing is supposed to subvert my "sense of control over [my] own thinking, behavior, emotions or decision making." Somewhat more mildly, Merriam-Webster says that brainwashing can be defined as "persuasion by propaganda or salesmanship." Now, I don't recall anyone at college ever saying to me, "This is what is unquestionably right. This is the best way to think. Anything else is wrong. Think this way." But that's a bit overt, right? Maybe it was more subtle, like: "This is what I think, and as I am in a position of authority over you, you should think the same thing." Again, a resounding no. As I recall, most (if not all) of my professors went out of their way to avoid revealing their own personal opinions in class, for exactly this reason. They understood the power they had as educators, and were more concerned that students left their classes with a well-rounded knowledge of the subject and the ability to think critically about it than with a certain set of political or religious opinions.
On the other hand, I do remember a time when I was told, "This is what is unquestionably right. Anything else is wrong. Think this way;" it was during the first 18 years of my life. Growing up, I was only ever presented with information and opinions from one perspective. I was homeschooled through my entire elementary and high school career. I was only allowed to listen to Christian music and read Christian magazines; preachers droned Christian fundamentalism over the radio in our house all the time. Most of my media choices (except for movies, but those were still parentally-regulated) were made from the Christian bookstore. I only ever heard news and political opinions from the conservative end of the spectrum. If a liberal idea was introduced, it was only in order to show me how faulty it was; it was always a caricature and never given fair representation or presented as a valid option. The word "liberal" was an insult in my house. (Still is, actually, but now I'm the one it's aimed at.) Almost all of my friendships and activities were through our church. All of this, I think, would be a good example of indoctrination.
Now, to be fair, to indoctrinate can mean simply to teach doctrine, but it seems more often to carry with it the idea of teaching someone to accept a certain belief or set of beliefs uncritically. This is key. As a child and a teenager, all criticisms I heard were directed at the opposing view; if any criticism of my family's dominant ideology was discussed, it was introduced as something "they say," and brought up only to show why "they" were wrong and we were right. Even though I was planning to attend a Christian college, I read books on how to defend my faith against "the world." Neither my parents nor my schooling ever encouraged me to take more than a superficial glance at anything that contradicted our worldview.
But again, in an effort to be fair, I have to say that I understand my parents' actions. According to their understanding of reality, they hold the ultimate and unquestionable truth. Why would they need to present me with other options? That may have confused me. Better to tell me what the truth was from the beginning so I never had reason to doubt. Now this may sound oppressive, but I think my parents are only partly to blame. The arrogance of believing that one has an exclusive claim to truth is fairly common in evangelical/fundamentalist circles (and not just in Christianity, in many other religions too, I’m aware; I’m simply not talking about them right now). It's a cultural phenomenon.
That said, I have still decided that is not the kind of person I want to be; that is not the kind of parent I plan to be. I want to help my daughter discover that there are many ways of understanding the world, and that granting each the possibility of validity (though, of course, with a respectfully critical eye) is essential to being a connected part of humanity. We must be able to see past socialized (and/or freely-chosen) ideological differences in order to have significant interactions with other humans. People will always disagree with one another, and I’m pretty sure that’s essential to our nature and our survival. I respect my parents’ right to choose their worldview to the best of their knowledge and their ability, just as I assert my own right to such a choice, and just as I will defend my daughter’s right to it as well.
So no, I don't believe I've been brainwashed. I have been taught to think critically about anything presented to me, and my world is more difficult, but also richer and more beautiful, because of it. Believing in one ultimate truth provides simplicity and stability; however, by eschewing the tension that accompanies the nuances and complexities of life in favor of having all the answers, I think such an ideology completely bypasses a huge part of what it means to live and to interact with people. I don’t have all the answers. I have very few of the answers, actually. Obviously, it’s often easier to point out what the answer is not than what it is, but that exercise has its merits as well.
I really want to insert a cliché about life and journeys vs. destinations, but my better judgment is telling me to refrain. I think you get the picture.
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