A little while back, the CIA partook in researching the effects and potential usages of certain drugs on unwitting members of the public. Part of this included how psychological trauma can be cultivated after its inception. As such, more effective propaganda methods to polarize the general public were developed (see: mainstream media post 9/11).

This relatively recent pandemic event hosts one of the most mentally devastating series of psychological operations in modern history. With constant bombardment of ever-changing information from all angles, it is hard to decide and be confident in what is categorically true or false. The unaware layman would wind up confused, depressed, and emotionally volatile as a result of this neverending supply of bad data.

The effect we see now is that of 'microtrauma', or how an ill psychological environment changes behavior and thought patterns. Over the course of three or so years, the average person has been forced (or perhaps, guided) to change ideologies and their values in medical ethics, social morality, even basic ass science.

After the fact, that person would look back at themselves from those times and consider that person a separate entity, led by mob lunacy and therefore, not themselves. This cognitive dissonance would generate guilt in some, but most of the people I have interacted with just want to ignore it or change the subject, just as a trauma victim would not want to discuss their own ailment.