Serious philosophical question: can you verify someone's ideology, their internal mental state?

If not -- then this doesn't seem possible.

If yes -- then maybe.

.....

That said, from an editorial perspective, I find this very troubling.

More and more in America, we attempt to shame others based on what we perceive as their intentions and internally held beliefs and attitudes.

In objective reality, we can never fully know or understand what someone else is feeling, or what they intend. (At least as far as I am aware.)

Yet many of us still pretend we can, denouncing and shaming others because of their perceived intolerant or hateful beliefs. And, it's becoming socially acceptable, sometimes even encouraged... forgive me, but this whole idea is extraordinarily surreal.

EDIT: What makes this doubly strange - if this were satire, it would be funny.