Zohnerism

 ZOHNERISM

It is 1977, a young fourteen year old student, Nathan Zohner has just successfully convinced his classmates to vote for the ban of DHMO

According to Nathan,

• DHMO can cause severe burns both in gas and liquid form.
•  It is a major component of acid rain and is often found in tumours of terminal cancer patients. 
• Ingesting too much DHMO leads to excessive sweating and urination.
• It corrodes the natural resources of our planet.
• For everyone with a dependency on DHMO, its withdrawal leads to death. 

After Nathan's presentation 86% of the students were in favour of banning this very dangerous and lethal chemical.

Now take a guess about the common name of DHMO

It is water, the very reason of our existence .






This study is very important not because the facts were wrong but because they were right and misrepresented.
The term Zohnerism essentially means the usage of a true fact to mislead an ignorant public.
It only goes onto show how easily public opinion can be swayed by the manipulation of facts and words.
You may have known the full form of DHMO but Zohnerism does not end there. It is everywhere. It is present in the law courts where justice can easily be denied due to misrepresentation of facts. It is present in that inspiring speech of your local politician which is filled with the beautiful picture of a false reality. It is present in the media by which your government shows you the evidences of a utopian progress. It is used to spread hate against racial and religious communities and it is used to fool you. It may not directly affect you but it certainly affects your perception and view of the world - all because you couldn't be bothered enough to see the real side of things and the bigger picture! 

Don't just get educated, learn.

Don't just listen, analyse.

And lastly,

Don't be ignorant, scrutinise.