A direct attack is a direct attack. That is, an attack that I cannot evade. A single attacker or a horde, an army of attackers or an explosion or something like that, in my immediate vicinity. My survival instinct would instantly kick in.

An indirect attack is the manipulation you are talking about. If I do not think calmly about what is happening because of such manipulation (propaganda), I will have problems because I will be driven by fear or panic. I don't want to be driven by that.

It was not this survival instinct but suspicion what made me cautious towards the hot topics of our time.