Grappling with the Gray #68: Thinking for yourself?

What are we to think of people who literally can't think for themselves?

With only a few notable exceptions, the entire world has condemned the atrocities of October 7 perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on Israeli civilians. Citizens of Gaza, however, remain loyal to Hamas leaders, and those same acts violence seem widely endorsed and even celebrated.

Particularly disturbing is how Palestinian youth are indoctrinated into Jew-hatred. Early childhood television programming depicts Israelis as evil oppressors who deserve violent death, while camp activities and games include playacting attacks on Jews and paramilitary style exercises against Israelis.

If Palestinians are genuinely victims of brainwashing, how can they be held accountable for their actions and attitudes? If an entire society is convinced of the justice of destroying another people, what steps are possible toward achieving peace? And if peace is unachievable, what options does that other people have to defend itself?

Furthermore, it is not only Palestinians that have celebrated or approved terrorist acts by Hamas. On college campuses across the country, most notably Harvard University, anti-Israel rhetoric has raised alarms of resurgent anti-Semitism. But are these students not also victims of ideological indoctrination by their professors? Is there a difference between indoctrination and brainwashing?

Many conservatives claim that university is no longer a marketplace of ideas but a petri dish for the cultivation of groupthink. Does their claim have merit? If so, how do we as a society restore balance to the free exchange of ideas?

Meet this week’s panelists:

Michael Alcee is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Tarrytown, NY, a Mental Health Educator at Manhattan School of Music, and author of the book, Therapeutic Improvisation: How to stop winging it and own it as a therapist.

Michael Sherlock is a Sales & Leadership Communications Strategist and CEO of Shock Your Potential, a global professional development training company.

Peter Winick works with individuals and organizations to build and grow revenue streams through their thought leadership platforms and is host of the Leveraging Thought Leadership podcast.