Implant beliefs that make people feel good and you can herd them around like sheep but they are not sheep. Sheep don’t have beliefs, only memories and instincts. Beliefs are Bernays’ “unseen mechanism of society.” All he did was to play on existing beliefs and implant the beliefs he knew he could use later to manipulate people. We have always been susceptible to this kind of manipulation but he brought it to a whole new level. Advertisers and politicians have been using his techniques ever since.

To those who say “question everything,” I would agree but narrow it down to “question your beliefs” because it’s what you believe that determines your behavior. How do you know what you believe is actually true and not simply something that make you feel good? The truth is very hard to get at when your beliefs are actively preventing you from knowing the truth.

Thanks for the great post!