They didn't brainwash themselves. They didn't "chose" this.”
They might not have generated the brainwashing campaign, but to some extent they did choose to accept it. The brainwashing is usually packaged with temptation: “believe this and you’ll be seen as a good person” or “believe this and you’ll be part of our tribe”. They were tempted into trading truth for worldly values such as admiration or status. Maybe the decision isn’t so conscious in some people, but those trade-offs are still happening on some level.
They might not have generated the brainwashing campaign, but to some extent they did choose to accept it. The brainwashing is usually packaged with temptation: “believe this and you’ll be seen as a good person” or “believe this and you’ll be part of our tribe”. They were tempted into trading truth for worldly values such as admiration or status. Maybe the decision isn’t so conscious in some people, but those trade-offs are still happening on some level.