but without the power of grasping that the world could be
other than it is. They could only become dangerous if the advance of
industrial technique made it necessary to educate them more highly; but,
since military and commercial rivalry are no longer important, the level of
popular education is actually declining. What opinions the masses hold, or
do not hold, is looked on as a matter of indifference. They can be granted
intellectual liberty because they have no intellect. In a Party member, on
the other hand, not even the smallest deviation of opinion on the most
unimportant subject can be tolerated.
A Party member lives from birth to death under the eye of the Thought
Police. Even when he is alone he can never be sure that he is alone.
Wherever he may be, asleep or awake, working or resting, in his bath or in
bed, he can be inspected without warning and without knowing that he is
being inspected. Nothing that he does is indifferent. His friendships, his
rel