thoughtcrime
Illegal mental dissent
Thoughtcrime is holding opinions or beliefs that authority considers unacceptable—crime committed in the mind rather than through action.
The term comes from George Orwell's *1984*, where the totalitarian state punishes citizens for private thoughts.
Now used to criticize perceived overreach in policing ideas: Disagreeing with the policy shouldn't be a thoughtcrime.
Holding contradictory beliefs simultaneously
- Big BrotherTotalitarian surveillance authority
- unpersonPerson erased from existence
- Ministry of TruthState falsification agency
- telescreensBidirectional surveillance monitors
Room 101 · memory hole · proles · Winston Smith · goodthink · blackwhite · duckspeak · wrongthink
Systematic observation of subjects
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- brainwashingCoercive psychological manipulation
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
conformity · regime · oppression · authoritarianism · censorship · suppression · ideology · dogma
Belief opposing official doctrine
- forbiddenNot allowed
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
- subversiveSeeking to undermine authority
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
nonconformity · defiance · unorthodox · sedition · blasphemy · insubordination · freethinking · questioning
Mass public shunning online
- deplatformingRemoving from online platforms
- self-censorshipRestraining one's own expression
- political correctnessAvoiding exclusionary language
- wrongthinkIdeologically impermissible belief
speech codes · social media ban · hate speech · microaggression · trigger warning · safe space · groupthink · echo chamber
doublethink
Holding contradictory beliefs simultaneously
- Big BrotherTotalitarian surveillance authority
- unpersonPerson erased from existence
- Ministry of TruthState falsification agency
telescreens · Room 101 · memory hole · proles · Winston Smith · goodthink · blackwhite · duckspeak · wrongthink
surveillance
Systematic observation of subjects
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- brainwashingCoercive psychological manipulation
orthodoxy · conformity · regime · oppression · authoritarianism · censorship · suppression · ideology · dogma · uniformity
heresy
Belief opposing official doctrine
- forbiddenNot allowed
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
- subversiveSeeking to undermine authority
dissident · nonconformity · defiance · unorthodox · sedition · blasphemy · insubordination · freethinking · questioning · doubt
cancel culture
Mass public shunning online
- deplatformingRemoving from online platforms
- self-censorshipRestraining one's own expression
- political correctnessAvoiding exclusionary language
wrongthink · speech codes · social media ban · hate speech · microaggression · trigger warning · safe space · groupthink · echo chamber
- Dystopia1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four, dystopian fiction, totalitarianism, Brave New World
- Sci-Fi/Fantasywand, spell, potion, rune, incantation
- Coined Wordschortle, galumph, nerd, robot, quark
- AllusionsAchilles heel, Pandora's box, Trojan horse, forbidden fruit, Midas touch
- Orwelliannewspeak, doublethink, Big Brother, Ministry of Truth, Room 101
- Sci-Fi/Fantasy Lawsprecrime, Judge Dredd, Ministry of Magic
thoughtcrimeorthodoxy
Adherence to accepted beliefs
goodthink · conformity · right-thinking · ideological conformity · doublethink
thoughtcrimefree thought
Reasoning unconstrained by doctrine
freedom of thought · freedom of conscience · intellectual freedom · freedom of belief · independent thought
crime, thought, criminal, thinking, thoughtful, thoughts, thoughtless, criminals, unthinkable