PROPAGANDA

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The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.” Propaganda | Edward Bernays High-spotting is a public relations technique where you direct public attention to specific things, things you want to represent your whole reputation. You could organize a dramatic visual demonstration, build an outstanding flagship product, or take a strong symbolic stand. 5. Mental Clichés: Provoking a mass reaction starts with understanding people’s pre-existing ideas Bernays applied Freud's observations to convince the public, among other things, that bacon and eggs was the true all-American breakfast. [3] Political propaganda edit The famous professor Noam Chomsky wrote more about the kind of propaganda we usually think of—media campaigns that are manipulative, false, and destructive. He greatly popularized the idea that media can help “manufacture consent” through presenting a distorted picture of events.

sectetur adipiscing elit. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor nec facilisis. Pellentesque dapibus efficitur laoreet. Nam risus ante, dapibus a molestie consequat, ultrices ac magna. Fusce dui lectus, congue vel laoreet ac, dictum vitae odio. Donec aliquet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor nec facilisis. Pellentesque d The great enemy of any attempt to change men’s habits is inertia. Civilization is limited by intertia. [2] The only difference between ‘propaganda’ and ‘education,’ really, is in the point of view. The advocacy of what we believe in is education. The advocacy of what we don’t believe in is propaganda. [1]

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In some departments of our daily life, in which we imagine ourselves free agents, we are ruled by dictators exercising great power. [2] The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organised habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. [1] Men are rarely aware of the real reasons which motivate their actions. A man may believe that he buys a motor car because, after careful study of the technical features of all makes on the market, he has concluded that this is the best. He is almost certainly fooling himself. He bought it, perhaps, because a friend whose financial acumen he respects bought one last week; or because his neighbors believed he was not able to afford a car of that class; or because its colors are those of his college fraternity. So the question naturally arose: If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it?

Bernays is not as infamous as our other quotable sources, but he should be. The nephew and student of Sigmund Freud, he combined the psychoanalytical expertise of his uncle with the psychology of crowds developed by Gustave Le Bon and Wilfred Trotter. When the term propaganda fell out of favor due to Fascist and Nazi use of it during the 1920s – 1940s, he coined the far-friendlier term “Public Relations.” Of course, changing the name to shake off negative connotations is itself a technique of propaganda. Of this change, he wrote:Professor Robert Cialdini is probably the world’s #1 expert on the psychology of influence. In his book Pre-suasion, he agrees that rational argument is usually not very persuasive. Instead, we need to pointing people’s attention in the right direction and set the right “psychological frame” for our message. All groups have a leader. So one of Bernays’ most effective propaganda techniques is to influence people by reaching out to the trusted leaders of their groups. To save the word “propaganda.” He believed it could still mean positive things, like educating people to wash their teeth daily.

Dramatic demonstrations. Bernays is always talking about organizing public events that demonstrate the point you want to make, instead of giving people a rational argument. Here’s a great example I read in a recent book on sales: in 1854 Elisha Otis invented a new elevator safety system, but it wouldn’t sell. So he demonstrated it at an exhibit by cutting the rope holding the elevator… while he was still standing on it! Society is better seen as a collection of thousands of overlapping groups. So if you want to influence someone, find what groups they belong to, and who the leaders of those groups are. Win the support of the leader, and you automatically win the followers. 3. Sell What You Stand For: Public relations helps businesses communicate shared valuesThe three main elements of public relations are practically as old as society: informing people, persuading people, or integrating people with people. Of course, the means and methods of accomplishing these ends have changed as society has changed. [1] Eventually people like Bernays gave up trying to save the word propaganda, and switched to “public relations.”

All these motives and group habits were put in concerted motion by the simple machinery of group leadership and authority. As if actuated by the pressure of a button, people began working for the client for the sake of the gratification obtained in the sculpture work itself.It is not sufficient to understand only the mechanical structure of society, the groupings and cleavages and loyalties. An engineer may know all about the cylinders and pistons of a locomotive, but unless he knows how steam behaves under pressure he cannot make his engine run. Human desires are the steam which makes the social machine work. Only by understanding them can the propagandist control that vast, loose-jointed mechanism which is modern society. If we understand the mechanisms and motives of the group mind, it is now possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it. In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind. [1] Spencer Danzell But then in 1914 World War I happened. During the war, the leaders of both sides used media very effectively, to demonize the enemy and motivate their own people to fight. And that kind of left a bad taste in people’s mouths, so “propaganda” became another word for lies. Why do we listen to leaders? Because modern life is too complicated! For example, most of us don’t have time to carefully research important economic issues. So we rely on others to do the work and present us with a simplified decision: Do you want to vote for the red party or the blue party? This system makes democracy practical for the average person and helps society function smoothly. This general principle, that men are very largely actuated bv motives which they conceal from themselves, is as true of mass as of individual psychology. It is evident that the successful propagandist must understand the true motives and not be content to accept the reasons which men give for what they do.