It's a Beautiful Thing

It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.

– George Orwell

Over the last several weeks, I have seen different words used in various Chinese news outlets to describe one thing: the lockdown. Of all the words and expressions that are invented, I like “静默管理” the best. It sounds like an oxymoron, but says a lot about the environment we are in.

You can’t help but be remined of George Orwell’s concept of “Doublethink”:

Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.