On Tyranny Lesson 12: Make Eye Contact and Small Talk

I have been meaning to return to the remaining lessons in Timothy Snyder's book, On Tyranny. If you haven't read this book, make a point of checking it out at your local library or purchase it at a local bookstore. It's a brief book and inexpensive. 

This lesson on social denunciation has both positive and negative implications. On the negative side, Dr. Snyder reminds us that when a nation descends into fascism, it is crucial to be aware of how the people in your life change as events change. So this becomes more a matter of survival. Cues in our social environment can tell us a lot about whether or not something is about to go sideways. If your neighbor who has greeted you for years suddenly stops speaking to you, there may be a problem. That's why it's a good idea to have your passport and go-bag ready (Snyder doesn't mention that last bit, but I think we can say it's implied). On a more positive note, making eye contact and small talk can provide much-needed social support for people who feel targeted or isolated by the realities that come with a fascist or authoritarian dictatorship of any stripe. Doing so also is a way of reminding the people around us that we are still human, regardless of the prevailing propaganda. This is especially important when dealing with people who do not think even remotely similar to you or to me. You probably won't change too many minds that have been poisoned by Fox News and other propaganda outlets, but maybe something you say plants a seed and under the right circumstances may change a few minds at a later date. If nothing else, you assert your humanity, and that matters right now more than ever.

The dictatorships that Dr. Snyder studies were ones that used social denunciation as a weapon, and dehumanization is very much a reality. We Americans really have no experience with social denunciation, so this is likely a new concept for many. It's time to learn.

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