Disordered Thinking and Semi-closed societies

Originally posted to my Facebook July 9, 2026

Semi-closed societies and insulated groups often reinforce disordered thinking when they make claims of being the unequivocal source of all truth.

This isn't to say these 'in the bubble' groups are an original source of disordered thinking. If a person lives without multiple outside sources of input to challenge the group thought, it is possible the only concepts that receive reinforcement come from the overtones of the social construct itself. What is best (in the collective mind of the group) then becomes what is right, even if the 'best' conceived behavior breaks down when in practice.

Children exposed to disordered thinking in semi-closed societies may find a strong desire or need to make sense of their environment, even if it involves blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.

This would likely differ from the typical childhood innocence we recognize as normal human development with imagination - such as a five year old climbing a hill with the intent of discovering the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

If, for example, moral absolutes are used in speech and then applied to the collective group, it doesn't allow for normal deviation in human behavior. Juvenile and adolescent thought are thus molded. So, if one already experiences some features of disordered thinking or mental illness, it wouldn't be a stretch to find oneself believing complete anarchy (as a system) must be the answer when you can't make your own behavior comply with the group expectation.

It sounds completely irrational, but moral imperatives that can't be softened by taking into account the whole of human experience don't necessarily translate in the mind of someone struggling to distinguish fantasy and reality. The best this person can hope for is for the system itself (as s/he knows it) to break down.

My heart feels heavy knowing the mental strain this must be, given the limited information available that a young person might access when part of an insulated group. My mind and heart take comfort in the belief/knowledge that ultimate accountability does not rest with the person who experiences this type of disability. But we can do better when we create or join groups that include child education/indoctrination.