{"id":61285,"date":"2021-11-17T15:46:14","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T15:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/?p=61285"},"modified":"2021-11-17T15:46:56","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T15:46:56","slug":"how-corporations-influence-you-and-control-your-actions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/how-corporations-influence-you-and-control-your-actions\/","title":{"rendered":"How corporations influence you and control your actions"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the movie Inception<\/em>, Leonardo DiCaprio and his team work by placing thoughts and ideas into influential people. Have you ever had an idea suddenly pop up in your head? If so, you might be an influential person.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Think back to when you\u2019re going through your day, and boom \u2013 a crazy, completely random idea enters your conscience. It\u2019s frustrating and completely throws off your routine. You\u2019re not alone. The worst part is that the thought seems to linger before disappearing \u2013 the inception.<\/p>\n

We all have thoughts that come in out of left field and throw off everything. Whether you\u2019re pursuing to study, or aiming to focus, the IG post you saw yesterday or the article you just read, randomly comes to conscience that doesn\u2019t have anything to do with you.<\/p>\n

These \u201cinceptions<\/em>\u201d are the effects of what\u2019s known as propaganda. Propaganda is \u201ctelling people what to think<\/em>.\u201d The act of thinking occurs in the brain, which is made up of three separate brains:<\/p>\n

1.Human brain: This is the only part of your brain that\u2019s you consciously control. It oversees all logical thought process.
\n2. Mammalian brain: This is the first half of your subconscious. It oversees all emotional attachments. This is the largest brain.
\n3. Lizard brain: This is the second half of your subconscious. It oversees survival and reproduction.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s why propaganda is so dangerous \u2013 it doesn\u2019t appeal to your logical conscience; it appeals to your feelings, the language of your subconscious, the driver of 90% of the actions you take. By doing this, propaganda influences you to have certain thoughts that are placed there. These thoughts lead to actions like impulse buys, and before you know, you have new shoes everywhere.<\/p>\n

The good news is that these aren\u2019t your thoughts, and since they\u2019re not, you can use this piece of information to form a solution. Identifying these thoughts and evaluating them stops the propaganda before it takes place. The first step is understanding what propaganda, or inception looks like.<\/p>\n

The creator of the propaganda machine<\/strong><\/p>\n

To grasp propaganda, you need to know the man who made it famous: Edward Bernays. Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud \u2013 the father of modern psychology \u2013 understood psychology and the working of the human conscience, but more significantly, what made them tick.<\/p>\n

If you want to go full-blown conspiracy, Bernays occurs to be the grand-uncle of Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix. Talk about a first-class ticket to people\u2019s subconscious. Bernays effectively used propaganda to help companies sell products by appealing to the consumer\u2019s wants and desires. How did cigarettes become so profitable? Thank Bernays. JC Penny, Sears, and other major retail giants. Thank Bernays. \u201cYou don\u2019t need a new dress<\/em> \u2013 you want a new dress because you know it\u2019ll make you look good<\/em>.\u201d By using psychology techniques to appeal to the subconscious, Bernays and companies have been influencing consumers for years.<\/p>\n

As with Bernays, Netflix has been keen on influencing the masses as well. Two examples include the R. Kelly trial and the orcas at SeaWorld. Both movements were driven by Netflix documentaries. After numerous years, R. Kelly went to jail, and SeaWorld had to modify its policies. This shows the power of the propaganda machine, not just to increase sales but also to start a revolution.<\/p>\n

Now that you know the history and have examples, let\u2019s see how it affects you.<\/p>\n

Propaganda, propaganda, all that matters is propaganda<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve encountered propaganda today, and had no idea. If you look at your favorite TV shows or music, you\u2019ll see that some kind of product is being pushed. And it doesn\u2019t have to be a physical product \u2013 it can be a narrative, a lifestyle, a way to look at the world.<\/p>\n

We identify with certain celebrities, actors, politicians, and we see ourselves in them. So when they take stances or make statements, that leads you to take a similar perspective. Everything in our society has some form of propaganda because propaganda is very rewarding, especially to companies, industries, and countries.<\/p>\n

What makes propaganda so dangerous is that when it\u2019s properly executed (which is often), you, the target, think those thoughts as if they were yours, and then transform them into actions. \u201cYes, I want to buy a new purse<\/em>.\u201d \u201cI should get a new car.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Lastly, all propaganda has elements of truth in it. If it was an outright lie, you would automatically dismiss it. But with that truth, it bypasses your logic brain and enters into the emotional brain. When you take everything that propaganda does, you have:<\/p>\n

1.Propaganda shapes your views on factual events taking place in the world
\n2. Propaganda convinces you the thoughts you have are yours
\n3. Propaganda persuades you towards one direct path<\/p>\n

By now, you know the history of propaganda, how it affects you, and what makes it so dangerous. Now, we\u2019ll discuss how to arm yourself against it.<\/p>\n

Propaganda protection<\/strong><\/p>\n

You should\u2019ve realized that Netflix isn\u2019t the only propaganda machine out there. Every company with a marketing department is using propaganda techniques to capture you as a potential customer. But, as we said before, it\u2019s not just companies. For generations, rulers, shamans, and politicians have been telling you what to think. The technology is a lot better now.<\/p>\n

The first step<\/strong> to break this cycle is to step back<\/strong>. Whether it\u2019s the news or a social media post, before responding or engaging, take a step back and ask yourself \u201chow well informed are you on the particular subject?<\/em>\u201d This forces you to address what you know and don\u2019t know. If you can\u2019t speak to the counterargument, then you\u2019ve been exposed to propaganda by one side and face a bias that makes you more likely to be swayed one way versus another. So it\u2019s important to take a step back.<\/p>\n

The second step<\/strong> to overcoming propaganda is to pay attention to the message<\/strong> being delivered. You may or may not know everything about the topic being shared, but you should expect whoever is sharing the topic to present a thorough argument. When attentive, you pick up on what angle the messenger is coming from. The more you\u2019re actively engaged, the clearer you see the direction that the messenger is aiming to take you.<\/p>\n

The final step<\/strong> is to evaluate yourself<\/strong>. Remember, propaganda is there to move you towards a goal that it wants for you. So ask yourself, is this a goal that you want for yourself? Have you previously thought about this? If not, then you can easily flag that thought as a propagandist idea.<\/p>\n

As the poem goes, \u201cI am the master of my ship \u2013 the Captain of my soul<\/em>,\u201d by constantly stopping to pause, think and evaluate yourself, you ensure that you stay in control of your conscience ship rather than relinquishing control.<\/p>\n

Closing remarks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Propaganda is all around us. Unfortunately, not many in the general population are aware of this age-old trick. But now you are. You\u2019ve been informed against it, and you know that at the end of the day, propaganda wants to you to do its bidding. The question is, will you?<\/p>\n

Once you realize that everyone is pursuing to get you to think how they want you to, you realize how truly influential you are. You then have two choices: blindly act and let your body take the wheel \u2013 or take a minute, ask yourself, \u201cwhy am I doing this?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

That small moment to pause, breathe and reassess, ensures that you stay in control of your actions \u2013 and your life.<\/p>\n

In life adventures, we\u2019ve come to see that life is a great game, and in this game we can develop strategies to ensure that we come out on top.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

yogaesoteric
\nNovember 17, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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