I’ve finished reading this book recently, as you can tell it's about “Brainwashing”. When someone says brainwashing you automatically think about some quack doctor wiping your mind or something of fiction.
In actual fact we're exposed to real brain washing techniques everyday. A key technique of mind control (discussed in the book) is milieu control. The basics of this is controlling what an individual's exposed to. (Think Rupert Murdock or more correctly North Korea)
More about milieu control here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milieu_control
Slowly this information influences you and you are completely unaware of it. It's the same deal with advertising. We form our opinions on our surrounding and the information we're exposed to.
What’s interesting about this is that we effectively brainwash ourselves, with help from Internet. If you want to back up your thoughts on a conspiracy all you have to do is type it into Google and all your thoughts will be backed up. So some people form their opinions on mass miss information, kinda scary right?
When using the Internet "small-minded" people re-enforce their beliefs and "open-minded" people generally become more open minded. The Internet tends to magnify everyone’s initial beliefs. What’s worse is that Google and Facebook change the results to match that person’s beliefs. Watch this Ted talk about Facebook and Google changing your search results.
In actual fact we're exposed to real brain washing techniques everyday. A key technique of mind control (discussed in the book) is milieu control. The basics of this is controlling what an individual's exposed to. (Think Rupert Murdock or more correctly North Korea)
More about milieu control here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milieu_control
Slowly this information influences you and you are completely unaware of it. It's the same deal with advertising. We form our opinions on our surrounding and the information we're exposed to.
What’s interesting about this is that we effectively brainwash ourselves, with help from Internet. If you want to back up your thoughts on a conspiracy all you have to do is type it into Google and all your thoughts will be backed up. So some people form their opinions on mass miss information, kinda scary right?
When using the Internet "small-minded" people re-enforce their beliefs and "open-minded" people generally become more open minded. The Internet tends to magnify everyone’s initial beliefs. What’s worse is that Google and Facebook change the results to match that person’s beliefs. Watch this Ted talk about Facebook and Google changing your search results.
Personally I'd rather live in a society where everyone can form his or her own opinions. That's got to be better than having mass thought control through the media.but what’s safer?
Too many hypothetical questions, as usual.
On a current episode of Sherlock a character said “you’re only a nutter if you’re wrong.” And I think that’s quite fitting for this post.
Sherlock’s worth a watch and I would recommend reading (Brainwashing) the book too, although it gets pretty heavy on how the brain works about half way through.
Too many hypothetical questions, as usual.
On a current episode of Sherlock a character said “you’re only a nutter if you’re wrong.” And I think that’s quite fitting for this post.
Sherlock’s worth a watch and I would recommend reading (Brainwashing) the book too, although it gets pretty heavy on how the brain works about half way through.
FIN
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