The Root Of Extremism - The Art Of Propagation

Through the use of emotional manipulation one can create a general conviction regarding the necessity for action.

The great majority of a nation being feminine in its perception and character, their thoughts and actions are ruled by their primary emotions and not reasoning.

(People are always extremist in their emotions.)

Emotions are not complex but simple and consistent. They have only negative and positive notions; right and wrong, love and hate, true or false.

Our primary emotions are well established:
* Fear ~ Love
* Sadness ~ Joy
* Anger ~ Surprise

Understanding and manipulating the emotions of a majority is primitive. During a struggle for existence, propaganda is an essential tool for the survival of any organized body.

For political parties the use of propaganda is considered a weapon of the first degree and a matter of public policy. Such a policy of polarization secures surprising and extraordinary results that no other method can achieve.

For propaganda to be effective, it is important to demonize the opposition in order to blockade the infiltration of opposing views. The stronger the demonization of the opponent becomes the stronger their beliefs are justified.

At first propaganda, appears to be foolish in its assertiveness and afterwords disturbing, but eventually it is accepted as truth.



[edit on 10/22/2009 by Choronzon]

Well, you can do just the same to rational beings. Just present them "facts" they can't deny, say, higly subjective statistics or muslim passports and they will support anything. Also, rationality only knows binary opposition pairs, true-false etc. That does not mean you can't come to elaborated coclusions when you use logic.

Just as it is with feelings. Or don't you feel various, true feelings that give you an acurate picture of reality? Say, slight excitement with a good dosage of bored anger and a lot curiosity? Thats what i feel when i klick on ats

reply to post by Choronzon


I am amazed so few have responded to this thread. I think it's an important idea to discuss in this day and age.

Both sides use propaganda to try and sway peoples opinion. There are litteraly thousands of commercials, websites, posters, etc. that each side uses as a propaganda campaign to distort the truth and try and sway public opinion to their side.

People don't want to believe that the reason they are extremist in their beliefs is because they are the victim of propaganda.

Everyone in their own mind thinks they are unique and individual in their thought processes.

reply to post by Choronzon


But that is of course fallacy. From birth we are propagandized to believe quite a many thing. Only later in life are we free to either reject propaganda or accept it. Most choose to accept whatever propaganda their own personal belief system condones.