I guess most people
will instantly go into denial when reading about mass psychology and I don't
blame them, I did, too! The subject is so big, so invading into everything we
think and do, is it worth knowing about mass psychology and group dynamics? Studying
the subject for quite some time, I personally think, yes, it's good to know,
but if I want to live *outside the group*, it's a pretty lonely life.
Probably everybody
does, because if it didn't exist, life would be quite hard really as we would
have to think and evaluate just about everything we encounter in life. The
majority of people does not like to think all the time, so we have politicians,
business leaders, teachers, mass media (TV, radio, internet, newspapers,
magazines) and advertising to tell us what desirable behavior is in this
society at any given time. "New knowledge" is often dispensed via
soap operas and advertising and unfortunatley accepted by most people. In case
of controversy, misleading information is pumped out to confuse people until
they simply give up and with "big" issues, misinformation here and
there and everywhere is used until we go into denial and block out the issue
altogether.
And let's not forget this quote as we all know where it can lead to:
"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed." - Adolf Hitler
The joke really ends when people blindly overspend on their income to get the latest gadget, the big mortgage or worse, if groups of people get caught up in violence, religious aberration and war. Desperation, hunger and no outlook to the future (as before WWII) can fuel the despair of people into following the halucinations of a leader who promises them a way out of it. Suddenly the masses and groups turn to a violence and degradation that a single person is generally not capable of unless severly mentally ill.
And let's not forget this quote as we all know where it can lead to:
"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed." - Adolf Hitler
The joke really ends when people blindly overspend on their income to get the latest gadget, the big mortgage or worse, if groups of people get caught up in violence, religious aberration and war. Desperation, hunger and no outlook to the future (as before WWII) can fuel the despair of people into following the halucinations of a leader who promises them a way out of it. Suddenly the masses and groups turn to a violence and degradation that a single person is generally not capable of unless severly mentally ill.
Most older texts on
the subject are terribly difficult to understand as they are written in
psychological jargo and just reading a couple of pages, most people will give
up, it just doesn't make sense. Group dynamics are being studied on business
schools and universities, but not many people will get access to those
teachings. Typing those keywords into Google Search will bring up a few pages
of interesting reading, but there is nothing one can really take home.
Finally, I found a book written by a German author, Hans Domizlaff, who had studied the excesses of mass psychology before and during WWII and who made it his business to take his knowledge into advertising after the war. Apparently group dynamics don't change in their basic terms.
Finally, I found a book written by a German author, Hans Domizlaff, who had studied the excesses of mass psychology before and during WWII and who made it his business to take his knowledge into advertising after the war. Apparently group dynamics don't change in their basic terms.
The following points
are in no particular order and comprised of a mixture of what I studied and
observed myself and snippets of information gathered here and there. Does it
make sense even to read the following points? - That depends on your outlook. I
found it useful to gather the information and also I like to be informed and
aware. Maybe you feel the same, maybe not, why not let me know in the comment
box below.
- Masses don't want to think,
they only need catch words and catch phrases (ipod, new ipad, animal
cruelty, Oscars, football)
- Always give them a leader
- Always give them a black sheep
- Always give them a fetish or
more than one to hold onto psychologically (cellphone, drugs, gameboy)
- Give them cheap food and games
(Fast food chains, tv, computer, video, gambling, Facebook etc.) to keep
them entertained and quiet.
- Keep them in fear (asteroid,
zombies, debts, no work, Fukushima, criminals, health scares and Aliens)
- Assure them constantly that
they are just doing fine.
- Organize violence and bash it
down equally with violence.
- Select educational bits, so
that the mass personality feels important and can tell a good and new
story easily to friends and neighbors.
- To deal with the masses and to
get their confidence, dress well, speak well and often, use graceful hand
movements, pretend education, appear totally self-confident and use
symbols, flags, celebrations, medals, badges, points etc.
- Remember that an
"extraordinary" person can send out energies which the masses
like to latch on to
- Travel in style and with
entourage so that "fans" can celebrate you on arrival.
- Secrecy. As you know, nothing
is allowed to be published about the Queen of England without her
knowledge until 100 years after her death. Also, keep things like UFOs
secret as not to create mass hysteria. Diplomatic immunity is another
example.
- Give them the 10 commandments
and punish them for breaking them, but steal, kill and lie yourself.
- Teach them to be kind, but be
ruthless yourself.
- Seed endless confusion via
experts, mass media and make all those statements sound absolutely true.
- Create sentimental surprise
moments and hide inconvenient events behind them.
- Always connect to something
that the masses have accepted and "wise" or "true" in the
past.
- Give them an authority to solve
their problems (politicians, police, doctors, dentists, lawyers,
specialists)
- Don't ask too much all at once
otherwise masses go into denial.
- Use drugs and chemical weapons
in times of peace and war (agent orange, roundup)
- Tell them you are guided by
God.
Probably not. Politics
and business will always be determined by leaders who see their destiny in
taking the interests of their followers ahead for their own profit, not for the
profit of the masses. The minority of intelligent people are only seen as a
disturbance, but are not acknowledged at all, this is how life of mass
organisms work and nothing will ever change it.
Parents, pre-school, school, college and university mould us to finally fit into a place at work, some role inside our family and network of friends and, of course, the generally invisible Jones's.
Did this knowledge (or maybe even part-knowledge) of mass psychology benefit me in any way? Yes, I think so. It enabled me to decide that I want to think for myself, take responsibility for my life myself and live my happy life at the very fringe of society. I find this enormously satisfying.
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