Witch hunts like the ones in the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as the Salem witch trials and the communist hunts in the 20th century exploit human fears to condemn innocent victims. People were accused of being witches, or of being communists. Before the accusations, no one would have considered it even remotely po

1984, by George Orwell, is the story of Winston Smith, a man who tries to rebel against society, but ultimately gives in to the Party. He represents how all members of his society eventually fall to the government's will. It is our perception of reality that declares their society to be wrong. To them, we are the dissidents whose ideas and actions will cause chaos and disorder. It is because we value ideas such as individuality, truth, and love, that we would criticize their government.

With these examples in mind, it can be suggested that our perception of reality will always be influenced by the consensus of our community. Even if that perception is not directly determined by society, it is at least influenced by it indirectly. People who want to go against society, break the rules, or be different must have an idea of the norm that they are going against. That norm is still defining their views

Some common words found in the essay are:
Winston Smith, , George Orwell, witch hunts, influenced consensus community, extremely difficult, throughout history, influenced consensus, consensus community, people accused, perception reality, 20th century,
Approximate Word count = 615
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)