Psychology & Manipulating the Masses

[JosephineB]

The Century of the Self - part 1 "Happiness Machine"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnPm...ature=youtu.be

[inavalan]

Edward Bernays may have polished the art, but the skill of manipulating others is as old as humanity. Think about Eve, and even about God ... :)

Bernays' merit might be that he put the tool in the hands of those incapable of doing it intuitively; he leveled the entry field.

If the manipulator is well meaning, and a visionary, that might even be good for the masses ... The problem is that most well meaning people are less good at manipulation, and once you create the possibility, the function, the position, for somebody to have the power to manipulate, it is impossible to fill it only with well meaning individuals. So, better fall back on a workable functional democracy (not a popular democracy).

This applies to all domains, from spiritual, to political, to art, to family, ...

[JosephineB]

Edward Bernays may have polished the art, but the skill of manipulating others is as old as humanity. Think about Eve, and even about God ... :)

Yes, I noticed someone in the YT comments mentioned that. So what. If I'd posted a video about someone using it 200 years earlier, you'd have said the same thing I'm sure. It doesn't matter does it. And telling that you choose to focus on this.

If the manipulator is well meaning, and a visionary, that might even be good for the masses ... The problem is that most well meaning people are less good at manipulation, and once you create the possibility, the function, the position, for somebody to have the power to manipulate, it is impossible to fill it only with well meaning individuals. So, better fall back on a workable functional democracy (not a popular democracy).

Another concern that this is your attitude. Your teaching on SF, is it not to empower the individual?

[Shivani Devi]

About ten times an hour on every channel on TV there's a government advertisment: "download the CovidSafe App to keep yourself and your family protected and safe...".

Every utility company app on my mobile phone sends 2-3 emails/day (I go paperless): "Download CovidSafe App and then everyone's lives can get back to normal".

Every time I open my browser "Don't forget to download the CovidSafe App today".

Newspapers: "statistics show that 2 million Aussies have downloaded the CovidSafe App....you can be one of those who are doing the right thing AS Australians for their country.. let's target it for 5 million by the end of the week..download the App today..".

I don't play those games and I won't live in fear and coercion. I won't be downloading the app on principle because I won't allow myself to be shamed and judged based on "reckless irresponsibility" in light of a perceived threat with no basis in any factual reality...but that's just ME - I don't give a damn what anybody else does......

..... we're the ones who usually get executed first.

[inavalan]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

About ten times an hour on every channel on TV there's a government advertisment: "download the CovidSafe App to keep yourself and your family protected and safe...".

Every utility company app on my mobile phone sends 2-3 emails/day (I go paperless): "Download CovidSafe App and then everyone's lives can get back to normal".

Every time I open my browser "Don't forget to download the CovidSafe App today".

Newspapers: "statistics show that 2 million Aussies have downloaded the CovidSafe App....you can be one of those who are doing the right thing AS Australians for their country.. let's target it for 5 million by the end of the week..download the App today..".

I don't play those games and I won't live in fear and coercion. I won't be downloading the app on principle because I won't allow myself to be shamed and judged based on "reckless irresponsibility" in light of a perceived threat with no basis in any factual reality...but that's just ME - I don't give a damn what anybody else does......

..... we're the ones who usually get executed first.

By the way, in US, a drive-by test for this new coronavirus costs about $2,500 !!! Part of the justification of the high cost is that it is more expensive to have drive-by testing (I know somebody who received the bill; fortunately he had just bronchitis). A newer antibody test costs $120, but you have not to have had any symptoms for at least 10 days, and to travel to one of their own blood taking centers.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by inavalan

By the way, in US, a drive-by test for this new coronavirus costs about $2,500 !!! Part of the justification of the high cost is that it is more expensive to have drive-by testing (I know somebody who received the bill; fortunately he had just bronchitis). A newer antibody test costs $120, but you have not to have had any symptoms for at least 10 days, and to travel to one of their own blood taking centers.

Iiik!

I was told yesterday I will have to be tested and then be put in quarantine for 5 days and then be tested again.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by inavalan

By the way, in US, a drive-by test for this new coronavirus costs about $2,500 !!! Part of the justification of the high cost is that it is more expensive to have drive-by testing (I know somebody who received the bill; fortunately he had just bronchitis). A newer antibody test costs $120, but you have not to have had any symptoms for at least 10 days, and to travel to one of their own blood taking centers.

My point being, there is an extremely good propaganda tool for brainwashing the masses and it combines both: repetition through mass bombardment and then praying on human annoyance viz: "I will do anything they want just to make it all STOP! I can't take it anymore...make it go away... please! "
"Yeah, you want us to get out of your face 24/7? You know how to make that happen, right? Just download the bloody App!"

Many will fall for it...I refuse to..so what is the psychological difference between those who can be emotionally manipulated vs those who cannot be?

So it goes back to the very premise of this topic.

[jro5139]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

About ten times an hour on every channel on TV there's a government advertisment: "download the CovidSafe App to keep yourself and your family protected and safe...".

Every utility company app on my mobile phone sends 2-3 emails/day (I go paperless): "Download CovidSafe App and then everyone's lives can get back to normal".

Every time I open my browser "Don't forget to download the CovidSafe App today".

Newspapers: "statistics show that 2 million Aussies have downloaded the CovidSafe App....you can be one of those who are doing the right thing AS Australians for their country.. let's target it for 5 million by the end of the week..download the App today..".

I don't play those games and I won't live in fear and coercion. I won't be downloading the app on principle because I won't allow myself to be shamed and judged based on "reckless irresponsibility" in light of a perceived threat with no basis in any factual reality...but that's just ME - I don't give a damn what anybody else does......

..... we're the ones who usually get executed first.

About a month and a half ago I suddenly had an app pop up on my phone which says "covid 19 tracking" and gives you statistics. I did not download or want this app. I deleted it and every time I turned my phone on, it would pop back up. I kept deleting it every time (dozens of times a day) and I did this for weeks until it finally stopped popping back up every time I turned on my phone. (Now it only comes up when I restart my phone; and I delete it again every time.) But it seems to be permanent in my phone now.

Speaking of shaming, I have seen people literally calling people "stupid, lazy and uneducated" on facebook only because the person looks at alternatives views on things (views that go against the mainstream.) Which only reminds me why I don't generally look at fb.
And I would say, we've reached an all-time low when you can be called "uneducated" for examining MORE views and ways of thinking rather than LESS.

The shaming with the masks too is ridiculous. What I have noticed is the people name-calling those who don't want to wear them will NEVER even listen to a different opinion and when challenged, resort to name-calling and shaming. It's the same with any view that is not supported by the mainstream/CNN/whoever-else is mainstream.

I was an essential employee until a few weeks ago and I wore the mask at work. All it accomplished was that it made me feel short of breath all the time. I eventually stopped wearing it over my mouth and noise and just kept it around my chin lol. Nobody told me to pull it up so I didn't. It was too hard to breath in, especially when I had to conduct a group and talk for an hour. It also forces you to touch your face about a 900,000,000 times more a day than you normally would which never made sense to me since at first they said not to touch your face.

Interestingly, the hospital where I worked received $ but did not spend the $ on PPE or on employees. They also did not pay their electric bill, which was still in the red when I stopped working there. Not sure where the $ they received went. It would be interesting to know though.

If executions happened, I'm sure I would be among the first assigned...LOL.

[JosephineB]

I wonder if anyone has watched the video.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by JosephineBloggs

I wonder if anyone has watched the video.

I watched parts of the movie.

The movie appeared to be anti-USA when in all actuality you will find this type of propaganda in all parts of the World.