The False Fix
- Leah
- Jul 27, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 29, 2025
The one we’re hooked on — and the one that isn’t helping.
Ever get the sense the world has lost the plot — yet insists it has never been more informed? You knock on society’s door, find it mid-doomscroll, and think: “Whatever we’re on, it’s not wearing off”.
I’m not talking about the kind of substance that lands you mug shots or a lifetime ban from the Olympics. No, this drug isn’t powdered, planted, or brewed — it’s spun. It’s the Drug of Narrative. Side effects may include: warped reality, diminished skepticism, and an irresistible urge to dive into angry internet threads.
Why So Serious?
Let’s be honest — it’s tough out there. And by “out there” I mean anywhere with WiFi. Narratives have become the new comfort food: addictive, everywhere, and terrible for your long-term mental health.
But have no fear! We’re here to dissect the world’s unhealthy narrative habits with a little less doom and a little more, “Hey, does anyone else see what’s going on here?”
The Drug’s Supply Chain (A User’s Guide)
The Producers
Who cooks up these storylines? Picture a shadowy factory run by people in expensive suits and questionable morals. They’re the 'cartels' of narrative:
Authoritarian regimes with a flair for spectacle.
Terror organisations sending out press releases.
Movements that look mainstream — until you check under the hood and find, well, less-than-mainstream intentions.
Their mission? To control the story — and occasionally redefine "truth” as their truth, but with better branding.
The Pushers
The producers get the glory, but it’s the pushers who make sure the product lands in every home, office, and group chat. No trench coat required — just a blue checkmark, a TED Talk, or NGO credentials:
Politicians selling narratives on prime time.
Media spinning commentary into “BREAKING NEWS.”
Professors assigning essays where facts are optional.
You don’t score this stuff in dark alleys. It’s on air, online, and occasionally lurking in your inbox as 'urgent updates'.
Sample*: Iran’s supreme dictator is painted as an embattled elderly man facing the burdens of leadership at the end of his career. Decades of repression and sabre-rattling? Minor footnotes.
The Consumers
You. Me. Aunt Sheila forwarding those suspiciously dramatic emails.
The high? That smug serotonin hit of Taking a Stand (without leaving the couch).
The crash? Realising you just cheered for someone who bans dancing and due process.
For most, it’s easier to retweet a meme than ask, “Wait, didn’t the UN just put Iran on its women’s rights panel?” It feels good to belong — even if the club uses some sneaky membership policies.
The Bystanders
The unsung heroes of apathy! See no evil, scroll no evil.
They witness the weirdness, hear the contradictions, and quietly hit 'mute'.
Their motto: “That’s not my problem.”
They say they’re tuning out for their mental health. Fair enough. But when they finally take off the noise-cancelling headphones, they might find the world has been mainlining narratives so warped they make Howard Stern sound like a choirboy on sedatives.
Disengagement isn’t neutrality. It’s outsourcing your conscience to whoever screams loudest.
Fun fact: Doing nothing still counts as 'doing something' — just not in a good way.
Don’t Look Away Just Yet
Every time someone shrugs off a contradiction or lets a blatant lie slide because “it’s just easier”, the narrative machine gets stronger. Not selling, using, or glorifying the drug? Great! But if you watch the dealer set up shop and say nothing… well, you’re not part of the solution.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just an intellectual exercise (although bonus points if you’re still reading). Narrative addiction doesn’t just tweak opinions — it redirects policies, blurs right and wrong, and occasionally hands out World’s Best Feminist awards to folks who outlaw lipstick and jazz.
And it’s not just Tehran. From Syria’s rebranded warlords to terror groups with social media teams, the redemption arc factory is working overtime — and there’s always a journalist or diplomat ready to buy the rights.
Yet somewhere, somebody’s writing their redemption arc. Astonishing, right?
One Small Step for Dogma, One Giant Leap for Gullibility
You don’t have to be a Producer, Pusher, or Consumer to keep the cycle going. Sometimes, silence is just the world’s most comfortable pair of moral sweatpants.
But hey — spotting hypocrisy is now a team sport. Play along, ask questions, and remember: when the narrative presses your button marked ‘Emotion’, it has probably been heavily processed for your convenience.
Toxic narratives shape nations and humanity's future. But only if we let them do it in the dark.
Thanks for tuning in. Now, put down the story syrup and help us with the antidote.
* If you’d like a glimpse of what I’m referring to: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/16/ali-khamenei-ruthless-defender-of-iran-revolution-with-few-good-options-left
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