When you break it down like that, it’s really obvious. Simplicity and incremental steps. Make them as small as possible so people get used to one thing before the next one comes along and it doesn’t look so far along from the last milestone.
I also think it helps if it appeals to their ego, ergo, it answers “am I a good person?”, or t gives them a psychological boost; it offers that passing of judgement.
I tried to separate the "act of propaganda" from "mass formation" and totalitarianism.
You are right, nothing convinces people more than the ideas (they think) they came up with themselves.
Propaganda needs to incrementally set the stage and prepare people to accept bigger and bigger absurdities, one small step at a time.
> it appeals to their ego
Right, there is a fascinating paradox there, and even a positive feedback loop, which looks something like:
- Appeal to people's selfishness (and self interests) by convincing them their actions are selfless and contribute to the "greater good" of the community.
That is clever. Never thought about it like that before.
In a way propaganda is satisfying people's emotional and rational needs simultaneously, even though under normal circumstances they are diametrically opposed. (It seems like the trick is to purposely pervert people's perception so that they are no even aware of it.)
One more thing, if I may, since you brought up diametrical opposition: most people have their own internalised trauma where they take their victimhood and subconsciously use it to enable the abuses they suffer. And since the micro always echoes in the macro, something as small scale as someone who can’t bring themselves to say ‘no’ to their abuser opens the door for worse and worse abuse on a grander scale. As in, for godsake, how many more failed boosters would one accept into their body before they say ‘no more’? I think I have to write a stack on that topic: “what is your threshold, normies?”
When you break it down like that, it’s really obvious. Simplicity and incremental steps. Make them as small as possible so people get used to one thing before the next one comes along and it doesn’t look so far along from the last milestone.
I also think it helps if it appeals to their ego, ergo, it answers “am I a good person?”, or t gives them a psychological boost; it offers that passing of judgement.
Good points.
I tried to separate the "act of propaganda" from "mass formation" and totalitarianism.
You are right, nothing convinces people more than the ideas (they think) they came up with themselves.
Propaganda needs to incrementally set the stage and prepare people to accept bigger and bigger absurdities, one small step at a time.
> it appeals to their ego
Right, there is a fascinating paradox there, and even a positive feedback loop, which looks something like:
- Appeal to people's selfishness (and self interests) by convincing them their actions are selfless and contribute to the "greater good" of the community.
That is clever. Never thought about it like that before.
In a way propaganda is satisfying people's emotional and rational needs simultaneously, even though under normal circumstances they are diametrically opposed. (It seems like the trick is to purposely pervert people's perception so that they are no even aware of it.)
Hmmm... a lot more to ponder. Thanks :-)
One more thing, if I may, since you brought up diametrical opposition: most people have their own internalised trauma where they take their victimhood and subconsciously use it to enable the abuses they suffer. And since the micro always echoes in the macro, something as small scale as someone who can’t bring themselves to say ‘no’ to their abuser opens the door for worse and worse abuse on a grander scale. As in, for godsake, how many more failed boosters would one accept into their body before they say ‘no more’? I think I have to write a stack on that topic: “what is your threshold, normies?”
Please do. I can't wait to read it. :-)