Why Do Revolutions Fail?
Ignorance vs Cynicism Blog
When creating a new society, it is important that everyone is on the same page. However, two things can get in the way of this: ignorance and cynicism. Ignorance is defined as a lack of information, while cynicism is defined as having knowing the truth but choosing to not accept or acknowledge it. Both are dangerous to a new society, as they both prevent those that are apart of the society from being fully aware. The novel Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, demonstrates how both of these can negatively affect how a society is grown and shaped.
Those who are ignorant in a society often fail to see what is actually happening. This leads to more power given to the person in power, as they can basically do anything and have it slip right under everyone’s noses. In Animal Farm, Napoleon soon learns that he can use the animals ignorance, especially Boxer’s, to his advantage. So, when he and the pigs start to break the Seven Commandments, he is able to alter them and convince the animals that they simply forgot exactly what the commandments were. Boxer is seen as a role model to the other animals, as he is incredibly strong and loyal. However, he is the most ignorant out of everyone. So, when he accepts Napoleon’s excuse, the other animals are more persuaded to do the same.
This can happen in an actual society too. If someone of great power accepts the scapegoat that a leader uses, then others are more likely to do so as well. Through this cycle, dictatorships can form, and by the time those in the society realise what happened, it would be too late.
Those who are cynics in a society know exactly what is happening, but choose to not act on it. This also provides the leader with more power, since they know that even if their actions fail to completely pass everyone by, those who recognize what's happening won’t do anything about it. In Animal Farm, Benjamin can be described as a cynic. He always tells the other animals that the revolution will fail, but he himself never does anything to stop it. He even takes part in the days work, knowing that by working, he is only encouraging the rebellion to continue.
It is also through this cycle that dictatorships can form. With no one doing anything to stop the leader from doing what they what, they have almost unlimited power.
Both ignorance and cynicism can cause a promising society to crumble, however, ignorance may be the more dangerous one. Cynics know exactly what’s going on, so it is under their own free will to not stop it. Those who are ignorant, however, do not know what is happening, and therefore don’t have a choice in whether or not they do something about it. However, ignorance is also easier to “fix” than cynicism. It is harder to convince someone to do something that they have already decided against doing than it is to educate someone. If those who are ignorant were better educated, what actions would they take against the actions of their leader?