soyaboya
Sorry for the late response, I was taking a hike. Thanks for your input! I agree the best way to change minds is by letting them think that they were always correct, even if they change behavior. I like to say that "everyone's vegan, according to themselves." Vegan, as in a* good person*. The process of self-criticism (I prefer the words like improvement or recovery tbh) is very dialectical. You have cognitive dissonance, holding both yourself and a new idea. That's contradiction. But your ego can't lose. People that are truly convinced they're not a good person sadly don't stay alive for long. So you need to preserve your sense of self healthily, but carve it and mold it slowly and carefully, until reformed to a desired state. It's like tissue damage and recovery to build muscles. If you tear up everything, no more lifting anything, at all. So you go at it slowly.
So I wouldn't use the phrase "purity testing" what's true is true. What's wrong is wrong. I hope our comrades see the truth and are able to handle it and welcome it in themselves. And you bring up a great point. For a group, or a party to be united in belief so much, as if it's one person...that's exactly the goal, through never ending criticism and corrections. Hope that makes sense.