I think you've got it somewhat wrong. People need to agree on something foundational but they don't need to share all of the same views. Basically all that is n

I think you've got it somewhat wrong. People need to agree on something foundational but they don't need to share all of the same views. Basically all that is needed is a starting point from which you can build. I disagree that most people want to be told what to think by authority, the number of people I've met where this is true after further probing is quite small and they generally have other problems that make them averse to educating themselves. I think the mistake here is that we (as in everyone broadly) have a perception problem. We don't actually know what other people are thinking, we can only judge by the face they present to the world. So there is a public presentation and then private thoughts behind that. This results in a prisoner's dilemma situation where the safest option is to defect to the side of whoever the perceived authority is since that is the only obvious signal. That defection is not a change of heart though, it's just going along to get along. Once a better option presents itself that aligns with the internal beliefs that are still held firmly, the individual will switch. From the outside this looks like a strongly imposed shared narrative is being effective at uniting people but what's actually happening is that you're simply cowing everyone into keeping their head down while resentment and discontent simmer under the surface. Just look at what's happening in China right now or Iran, seemingly out of no where you have protests and civil unrest. It's the same for any tightly controlled society, things appear ok until suddenly they aren't. Widespread disagreement and argument are actually signs of a healthy society where people feel free to speak their minds.