Stepford-wived is right. An important idea to factor into these discussions is that we’ve been subjected - and are still being subjected - to a massive hypnotic-trance induction blizzard. (Which is why the Amish elder, when asked why there was no covid amongst his community, answered: “We don’t have TV.”)
It’s very telling when a veteran stage-hypnotist can analyse in detail how the Permanent Bullshit Blizzard of broadcast ‘news’ is doing this induction-patter every day around the covid scam, in exactly the way that he would induce his entire audience into light trance, so that he could then pick his more trance-susceptible ‘volunteers’ to get up on stage and make fools of themselves. (I’ve done therapeutic, though not entertainment, hypnosis. The intricacies of this aspect of human psychology are simply gob-smacking. “Had we but world enough, and time, // I could a tale unfold…”)
I now operate on the practical rule of thumb that the covid-deluded people whom I meet daily are actually running around in a state of moderate trance, which is continuous for the time being because it’s refreshed daily when they follow suggestion to subject themselves to regular doses of TV/radio/press ‘news’. Thus they are carrying out post-hypnotic suggestions; of which they remain obdurately unaware, of course; as you do when obeying PHS’s.
You might be able to counter-suggest them; but it’s pretty fruitless to try to reason people out of trance with facts and rational discussion. Hypnotically-implanted convictions - even glaringly ridiculous ones - trump reason every time. Victims will always find a ‘rationalisation’. Seen it again and again. That’s why the entranced are fed a regular stream of sound-bites to regurgitate, and thus safeguard their continuing conviction. Just jerk out: ‘Cospithirry!!!’, and the trance remains unpunctured by mere - obvious - reason.
BTW, I insulate myself from this constant induction flow by not buying or ever reading the lugenpresse, not keeping a TV, and hearing only eight three-minute headline bulletins on R3 per day, to which I listen with a constant stream of “Bollocks!”, “Fuck off!”, 'Twats!", etc., to maintain induction-resistance (As it happens, I’m moderately suggestible myself.)
We - the unfooled minority (?) - have to hold on to the basic idea that we are the trance-resistant ones - there’s always a percentage - who are awake to this huge scam. Doesn’t matter if you’re absolutely surrounded by people - many of them much loved - who are at this moment entranced, just hold on to the idea that you have the right of the matter, not those poor abused others, because you’re Awake And Paying Attention, whilst your surroundees are in trance sleep. Don’t judge and condemn them. Be compassionate. It’s pure luck of the draw whether an average human will fall into one of these suggested mass-trances or not. Count yourself lucky, and stay acutely conscious of the need to resist entrancement, and to assist anyone who seems to be coming out of trance - as we all do eventually, if the induction isn’t renewed constantly.
That’s the saving grace of this situation: eventually, it’s going to fizzle, and then people will start to awaken spontaneously. Just wait and watch, and be ready with welcoming warmth. Then serve in your facts and reasons. Your hearers will be open to them then.