I once worked with an exceptional salesman and I discovered that people were very happy to except a false description of reality if it aligned with their inner desires and fears. He would often ask people if they were 'local' if they were he would theatrically signal to me to 'charge this man X instead of Y, I look after my locals'. 'Don't tell anyone what I charged you' he would say conspiratorially 'just tell them I gave you a good price' it was quite impressive to see him just assert a reality. Everyone got the same price of course and no ever questioned it and they were profuse in their thanks. I've always assumed big government worked on the same line, telling big lies to gratify unexamined vanity and anxiety.
@Sean - thanks. A particular difficulty, at least in the UK, is that people believe that they are already skeptical about the media and politicians, and believe that they 'don't believe' most of what they are told. In in fact they do believe almost everything, with a childish credulity that fails even to apply the test of consistency and coherence.
This was confirmed for me when I was variously slandered and libelled in the media, and most people who I knew and who knew me nonetheless believed the media falsehoods by choice.
Underneath, I think belief is mostly bestowed by fear upon perceived strength; in other words, people believe the media, politicians, officials - because they fear the power, strength and viciousness of The System. People are afraid Not to believe; and indeed have an animistic fear that They will Know of any inner doubts or disobedient thoughts - which increases zeal of expression, and leads to gang bullying of Establishment-identified targets.
Such servile behaviour is most typical of 'nice', conscientious and socially-integrated people; and therefore of women more than men. Hence the Establishment push for ever more 'feminism'. (As well as feminism's demonically destructive consequences.)
Yeah, people have a surface belief that politicians are self-interested liars, that the news is sensationalized and not interested in the truth, etc., but their actions show they don't actually believe these.
I think it's not just a fear of the system's power, but also that people don't want to live in a dystopia, so they refuse to believe they do. It's too daunting and depressing to reject the conspiracy you describe and to face reality. Often when I point out the flaws in news organisations or the problems with modern science, people reply with "well then who/what can we believe/trust", as if that negates the criticism. It's as though people are absolutely determined not to think for themselves, and just need an authority to tell them what's true.
14 October 2020 at 22:40
...Is: that The Establishment - e.g. global agencies such as the UN/ WHO/ EU/ WEF (the Great Reset people), National governments, the Mass Media - are united in a massive (but non-obvious) conspiracy to Do Us All Good. No matter that They seem (to personal experience and common sense) to be united in the strategic destruction of civilization, economy and country; an international totalitarian regime of omni-surveillance and micro-control; and the creation of a universal mood of fear, resentment and despair... No matter these and other superficial appearances, the great majority of people solidly-believe that The Establishement has our best interests at heart. Even when we are compulsorily confined to a single room for weeks (forever?), compelled to be masked (for months, forever?), denied basic medical and social services, denied singing/ dancing/ theatre/ sports/ music; and forbidden even to touch our family and friends (until given official permission) --- the conspiracy theory says that They are doing this for Us. (And to save the planet and the ecosystem, natch.) And all is actually Good (in an ultimate sense). This for our health, for our well-being, for our long-term best-interests... Wow! That is just the kind of people these billionnaires, politicians and media moguls really are. They may seem short-termist, selfish and sadistic - but this is on-the-surface. Inside the iron fist that is crushing the life from us, is a velvet glove stroking us. The cold mask of arbitrary authority covers a warm face of empathic concern. And so it is that the masses of the world solidly, immovably, believe-in a vast conspiracy theory that the Global Establishment are deep-down, behind the scenes, and contrary to appearances; united in an alliance devoted to the Good of the World. (Against such stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.)
"The commonest conspiracy theory..."
4 Comments -
I once worked with an exceptional salesman and I discovered that people were very happy to except a false description of reality if it aligned with their inner desires and fears. He would often ask people if they were 'local' if they were he would theatrically signal to me to 'charge this man X instead of Y, I look after my locals'. 'Don't tell anyone what I charged you' he would say conspiratorially 'just tell them I gave you a good price' it was quite impressive to see him just assert a reality. Everyone got the same price of course and no ever questioned it and they were profuse in their thanks. I've always assumed big government worked on the same line, telling big lies to gratify unexamined vanity and anxiety.
MH
14 October 2020 at 11:54
This may your best writing on the Birdemic. I don't think anyone has framed it more perfectly—and many have tried.
14 October 2020 at 13:07
@Sean - thanks. A particular difficulty, at least in the UK, is that people believe that they are already skeptical about the media and politicians, and believe that they 'don't believe' most of what they are told. In in fact they do believe almost everything, with a childish credulity that fails even to apply the test of consistency and coherence.
This was confirmed for me when I was variously slandered and libelled in the media, and most people who I knew and who knew me nonetheless believed the media falsehoods by choice.
Underneath, I think belief is mostly bestowed by fear upon perceived strength; in other words, people believe the media, politicians, officials - because they fear the power, strength and viciousness of The System. People are afraid Not to believe; and indeed have an animistic fear that They will Know of any inner doubts or disobedient thoughts - which increases zeal of expression, and leads to gang bullying of Establishment-identified targets.
Such servile behaviour is most typical of 'nice', conscientious and socially-integrated people; and therefore of women more than men. Hence the Establishment push for ever more 'feminism'. (As well as feminism's demonically destructive consequences.)
14 October 2020 at 16:16
Yeah, people have a surface belief that politicians are self-interested liars, that the news is sensationalized and not interested in the truth, etc., but their actions show they don't actually believe these.
I think it's not just a fear of the system's power, but also that people don't want to live in a dystopia, so they refuse to believe they do. It's too daunting and depressing to reject the conspiracy you describe and to face reality. Often when I point out the flaws in news organisations or the problems with modern science, people reply with "well then who/what can we believe/trust", as if that negates the criticism. It's as though people are absolutely determined not to think for themselves, and just need an authority to tell them what's true.
14 October 2020 at 22:40