Doublethink in Characters

(If you're unfamiliar with doublethink, take a look at the link I've provided and read at least the first paragraph.)

I don't intend to go on a political rant.

Why? Because doublethink is fun! The only thing more fun is putting it inside a character.

Authors have been doing this for ages. Orwell wasn't the first to think up the idea, only the first to actually put a label on it. People have been like this ever since the first few words popped into existence. That's why the study of logic was once considered an integral part of a person's education.*

From what I see, it isn't taught anymore and I guess I should be upset. But it makes for such delicious characters.

For example: the woman who says that you have to give up some liberty to have freedom, or the environmentalist who fervently believes that oil consumption is evil and yet feels technology (encased in plastics which often come from oil) will save the world. I could give several more examples, but I don't want to ramble. However, I will provide a link to this blog entry that contains an email explaining why Mormons aren't Christian. Paragraphs 3 and 4 are the most beautiful examples of doublethink I've seen in a while.

The thing is, I haven't really seen much in the way of doublethink in stories lately. Everything is too neatly explained within the characters, too mapped out. Maybe I just haven't been reading the right stories. Humans are messy. Most humans make very little sense. Not every character has to have some doublethink, but it certainly adds some depth when a character faces a moral quandry.

So, my plans for today are to -- in addition to my usual daily stuff -- read up on doublethink and see what kind of story ideas it generates.

*Note: I have never studied formal logic. The school I attended during my teen years had its hands full just trying to teach reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic. The first taste I got of logic was in college during a freshman English class.