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China Elevator Stories
Truth Tellers and Brainwashed Kids: Independent vs. Dependent Thinking
Each society consists of truth tellers and brainwashed children, though one may appear more frequently than the other.
02/03/2025
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
Independent thinking
Independent thinking occurs when a person’s thoughts are independent of others’ opinions. Independent thinkers may not always be right, but at least their thinking is critical and autonomous. In narcissistic systems, “truth tellers” are most likely independent thinkers.
Dependent thinking
Dependent thinking happens when a person adopts other people’s opinions, often without reflecting on them. Dependent thinkers may view others as the authority, rather than themselves. They may easily listen to people who are doctors, politicians, psychotherapists, or those in other professions that place them in positions of so-called authority. Those least able to think independently are often referred to as “brainwashed children.” There may be other roles, but to keep it simple, I will explain only two here, as they are the most distinct from each other.
Narcissistic systems and truth tellers
In any system—and we are all part of narcissistic systems—narcissists are typically the ones who rise to top positions. These individuals are usually cunning and conscienceless enough to gain extreme power, often paired with Machiavellianism. Every larger system naturally consists of a mix of truth tellers and brainwashed children, and may also include other roles.
Truth tellers are those who see narcissistic systems for what they are and speak out about their experiences critically and truthfully. These are people who aren’t afraid of those in power or discussing abuse, and they don’t see anyone in power as being superior or someone to fear.
Brainwashed children, on the other hand, are often those who have been severely gaslit and adopted the viewpoints of abusers or the majority. In cases where an entire society has been brainwashed, only a small minority may speak the truth. Brainwashed children may blindly repeat someone else’s perception of things without critically considering whether the other person’s views are true. Their brains are wired differently from truth tellers, and they cannot be turned into truth tellers. They will remain brainwashed children throughout their lives, often following leaders, politicians, doctors, and other authority figures without ever questioning them.
If a society has a lot of brainwashed children (even as adults), it can be difficult to survive as a truth teller. You won’t be able to discuss things critically or speak openly with others.
Jewish truth tellers during the holocaust
Consider history as an example. Jews who courageously spoke out about the cruelties they endured at the hands of the Nazis, knowing it would endanger their own lives or their families’ lives, were truth tellers. So were others who spoke out about the atrocities during Hitler’s reign. Those who wrote books about their experiences were most likely truth tellers. Of course, some truth tellers may not have openly spoken out to protect themselves, but they still saw the truth critically.
Some particularly courageous journalists—those who report events honestly and truthfully—are truth tellers. Independent journalism is a classic ‘truth teller’ occupation, but only when it is genuinely independent and not merely claiming to be.
The role of truth tellers in society
As a truth teller, I appreciate every truth teller. From an energetic standpoint, truth tellers don’t hold back; they speak the truth about what’s going on in society, without lying about abuse or horrendous circumstances, contributing positively to our world. Energetically, not holding back on words and opinions means the energy flows naturally, without any block.
Being a truth teller requires courage, especially in a time when truth tellers are often punished and persecuted. Sadly, there is not a very high percentage of truth tellers in this part of the world, and those who have spoken out about what’s been happening have been silenced in recent years by those who oppose truth telling, and allowing others to make autonomous decisions.
Opponents of truth telling
Those who oppose truth telling usually try to undermine the truth teller’s ability to spread the truth. They often attempt to align the truth teller’s perspective with a gaslit reality, where the truth cannot emerge. Truth tellers may have been born into “truth-telling families,” where things were spoken about openly. They may not have known that society as a whole doesn’t support truth tellers. Truth tellers can be individuals, and family systems can be viewed as systems of truth tellers, where issues are viewed critically and openly discussed without punishing differing views. I believe we are experiencing a generational shift, where a generation with more truth tellers has been replaced by one with more brainwashed children.
Family systems can also mirror the behavior of brainwashed children, where truth is suppressed, a false reality is created, and lies are repeated from generation to generation because people aren’t willing to confront the truth, preferring to live in denial. A truth teller who is born into such a system will be punished horrifically anytime they speak the truth.
Can narcissists be truth tellers?
Yes, many narcissists are truth tellers. However, in a narcissist, truth-telling may be mixed with gaslighting, making it difficult to know what they truly think.
Personal reflection on truth telling
As a woman who values truth telling, I could never date a grown-up brainwashed child. I can’t stand how brainwashed children hold back and refuse to speak critically or realistically about what is going on. Instead, they constantly lie and repeat the brainwashed opinions of others.
My ex-husband certainly seemed like a truth teller when I first met him. I enjoyed his bluntness and honesty. Over time, however, he became less of a truth teller, instead deferring to other authorities like his parents, who were not all truth tellers. His father is a truth teller, but his mother is not. I enjoyed listening to his father talk about society—he was intelligent and insightful, seeing things truthfully in many instances—but I couldn’t stand it when his mother repeated others’ thoughts without independent or intelligent analysis. She was hard to deal with, especially on an intellectual level.
Grown ups who are brainwashed children aren’t always the most intelligent. A farmer who is a truth teller may be much more intelligent than someone with a doctorate in medicine who is a brainwashed child. I prefer talking to intelligent farmers over dumb doctors who are educated but lack true intelligence. For me, education isn’t that important, intelligence is. Truly intelligent people can learn almost anything if they have the talent for it. They gain knowledge through books or experiences, while brainwashed children won’t gain much real knowledge or wisdom, even if they read a lot.
I grew up in the countryside, and while someone from the city may view rural people as less intelligent, in my experience, many intelligent individuals live there. I don’t consider farmers any less intelligent than doctors, and I understand that true intelligence and attending university are two separate things. I enjoy spending time with intelligent people who didn’t go to university, but I can’t stand wasting time with those who attended university yet are intellectually lacking. People who grew up in the countryside often possess an area of expertise that city dwellers may lack: knowledge about nature, the natural flow of things, living in alignment with what is healthy for us, or how to grow plants and nourish ourselves. Some city people lead lives that are severely lacking in anything natural.
Truth telling vs. bullying
Now, don’t confuse truth telling with bullying. Truth tellers may be blunt, calling blue “blue,” a perpetrator a “perpetrator,” a dumb person a “dumb person” and a narcissist a “narcissist.” This isn’t meant to be rude; it’s simply because they can see the truth and speak it. They will call a rude person “rude” if that person is obnoxious to others, and they’ll point out where healing needs to take place, recognizing the origins of problems that must be addressed, even if they’ll then be punished by narcissists for speaking the truth.
Truth tellers in China
In China, I encountered many truth tellers. I enjoyed living there (aside from the negative situations I experienced) because so many Chinese people speak their minds. Chinese truth tellers are awesome—they talk critically about what’s going on and often have sharp, advanced perspectives, much different from those trained to never question their superiors.
Are you a truth teller or a brainwashed child?
On a side note:
I had disabled comments for the past few years due to stalking. I’ve now reactivated them on all posts, so feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page. Please stay polite and respectful in your comments, or I will have to delete them!