I often eavesdrop on people in cafes. It's one of my sources for understanding what concerns ordinary people. I often overhear people gaslighting each other about contentious issues in the zeitgeist.

For instance, an elderly couple talked about Biden's cognitive impairment and seemed to be straining to convince each other that Biden was actually doing pretty well for his age, and that he just had an unfortunate stutter. And then they pivoted to minutely diagnosing Trump's psychological issues. I felt like laughing in their faces, but I just listened, like an anthropologist might (except I didn't take any notes).

The same couple (honestly, the man was doing most of the talking... ) then went on to gaslight each other about vaccines.

Speaking of which, I overheard a book club of elderly women, where the discussion veered to vaccines (because it was a minor plot point in the historical novel they had read). It was fascinating to notice how a few, very vocal women, dominated the narrative – they recalled memories of receiving the polio vaccine and then pivoted to regurgitating all sorts of strong, well-trod opinions about COVID vaccines. As I peeked over at their conversation, I'm sure some of the women in the group did not quite agree, but they stayed silent in order to avoid conflict.

I'm struck by how often people repeat narratives they've heard from TV, as if they need to convince somebody else in order to convince themselves. It's like the repetition of a creed – a statement of faith. Do all Catholics really believe that the dead will literally rise out of their graves during the Last Days? Well, if they keep repeating it to themselves every Sunday, maybe they eventually will believe it.

Similarly, people receive a creed from talking heads on TV, or from social media, or from aggressive women in book clubs – the vaccines were wonderful, the economy is doing great, Biden is a competent leader, various classes of people are evil, etc.

Depending on your region, you might overhear a creed of the opposite flavor – starring Trump as savior. But in my neck of the woods, the aggressive creeds are in the service of the current ruling regime.

I think the TV propagandists are maliciously, cynically gaslighting the public. And then ordinary citizens gaslight each other in order to maintain group cohesion. People feel insecure, unsafe, and they have a need for security. A natural way to feel secure is to surround yourself with those who are on the same "team". They can sort out who's on the team by repeating the creed and gauging the reaction. Someone who strongly disagrees with the received faith might be quietly ostracized. If you're undecided about something, you might simply go along with the group, rather than risk ostracism.

Again, the mutual gaslighting is a strategy for avoiding conflict and feeling secure. The need for security is such a powerful force that it can be weaponized by cynical actors – anyone from overt fascists, to corporations trying to turn a profit, to narcissists thriving on attention.