Indoctrination

As one does when washing up, I was thinking this morning about indoctrination.  What prompted it was I was listening to songs I like all of which promote a certain world view.  It had me thinking “you believe that because you reinforce it all the time.”
It seems to me it is probably a good idea to see the meanings of indoctrinate. The Oxford dictionary I referred to had two definitions.  One I consider good “teach or instruct (someone)” and the other I consider bad. “teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.”
Anyway one thing led to another and I settled on everyone is indoctrinated.  It does not matter what one holds to there tends to be a deciding on something and then a conscience and unconscious reinforcing.  Conscience is gathering stuff that one comes across and adding it to what is already held to.  Unconscious is coming across stuff unexpectedly.
I think indoctrination is everywhere, but I am seeing the bad one in particular in Russia right now.  Putin is trying to ensure Russia receives only his world view.  Ukraine is full of Nazi’s and Russia is doing them a favour.
While I do hold to the thought that everyone is indoctrinated, I do not hold that any truth is valid.  I think that there is the truth rather than my truth whatever I choose it to be.  I have been indoctrinated to believe that two plus two equals four.  I could be indoctrinated to believe that two plus two equals five.  One I can prove, and the other I cannot. It is not true and never will be despite what I may be told.  I did think it was really pertinent when I looked up the meaning of indoctrinate and came across what I consider is the bad one - “teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.”  Ukraine is a country.  That is true.  Ukraine is full of Nazi’s.  That is not true.
I do not hold to accepting something uncritically.   It is only by critical thinking I will accept something.  Even after I have accepted it, I will not accept all unconditionally.  Sometimes someone with a world view very similar to mine will declare something I cannot agree with.
That does not mean I will throw the baby out with the bathwater.   I, along with others, am not perfect so it is very possible I hold to something that really is a blind spot. Or it may be that a statement has just not been thought through.
I do not in cases like that write someone off automatically.  If they are anything like me, they are giving it their best shot.  There are those that will deliberately deceive and hopefully I recognise that.
It actually reminds me a bit of political parties.  There is a lot that is good in my mind and some I do not agree with.  Often, I am choosing what is in my mind the lest bad.  Yet to me it is one of the joys of our political system and life the way it should be.  I can choose.
To me indoctrination is a fact of life.  It is choosing something based on what stands the test of time to me.  If all the evidence and my gut feeling is it is truth, I will run with it.