"We the Sheeple..." or Why is the General Public so easy to deceive?

Here's a question I would like to ask my fellow ATS brothers and sisters. Why in this day and age is it so easy to get the general public to buy into lies and half truths? It is apparent in many fields.

Religion- Despite the mountain of evidence, some people are still disputing evolution. Despite the mountain of evidence, some people still think the Earth and the Universe were created in seven days around 6,500 years ago, all premade complete with a false fossil record. I could go on and on.

Politics- Despite the facts, people believe whatever their government tells them, like the real story behind 9/11. Or the Roswell Incident. Or the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. I could go on and on.

Economics- People still don't believe that there are a few at the top, the PTB, who are pulling all the strings in the Global Banking System.

You get the picture.

Now please don't post to debate the examples I have given. I have no desire to do that. There are plenty of threads out there for those debates. Please stick to the topic. Why are people in general so easy to deceive?

There is no doubt that ATS members are the best people to ask this question. I look forward to reading your opinions.

Why is the General Public so easy to deceive?

Because they believe whatever they're told, without questioning it.

If someone speaks the truth, they will welcome questions. If they do not, they will not welcome questions.

Always question authority.

Why are people so easy do deceive? Well, in my opinion it's simple...People are indoctrinated since youth to believe certain things...religious, political, economic, etc. etc. people are lead to believe certain things at young ages and told to never question them. So, people never question what they have been lead to believe. I have met many people in my life I could give as example. No matter how much you show them to disprove their narrow view of the world, they won't give it up.They will believe what the are told until the day they die. Just how they are suppsosed to.

Well, I find myself asking that question quite a bit lol. I think our Media has a lot to do with the problem. Most people just don't want to do their own research on things, so they tune into the MSM for their info. Another problem and my family is the WORST about this is that they don't want to know the truth. It scares them. lol i'm glad you didn't want answers on the topics given because I am a Christian (not hardcore convert the world) but I do worship god and enjoy reading the bible so if you wanted answers for religion I would have to say IDK. Maybe I am "falling for it" or maybe there really is something to Christianity but thats not the topic at hand.

People are easy to deceive when everything they've ever been told in their entire life is part of a gigantic decpetion itself.

One liner.

reply to post by Trustnoone1987


Thank you for staying on topic.

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


I gave you my opinion. What do you think are contributing factors to the sheer volumes of sheeple out there?

I think some people are sheeple because it is easiest fort hem. It is easier to go along with what the majority of the sheeple think, because sometimes questions make one an outcast. I have been in shock at the number of sheeple in our country(I live in the USA, so this is where my perspective lays) since that idiot GWB was REELECTED last time.

To me it was blatantly clear GW pandered to the biggest block of sheeple in our country(xians) and it worked!

McCain is trying the same tactics, only this time with my sisters(other women). The ONLY reason he put that clown Palin on the ticket was his hope to sop up undecided sheepettes, and voila, lo and behold, polls showed his ploy had worked-there are actually(shameful to say as a woman) women out there who were undecided and now will be voting for McCain ONLY because he stuck a vagina on the ticket.

I think religion is one of the biggest conditioning agents for producing docile little sheeple. I think lazy parenting is another reason for upcoming future sheeple. Parents are all too quick to let the education system indoctrinate their children, and it makes my blood boil. I have taight my kids from the day they were born to QUESTION EVERYTHING, especially persons claiming to be/in authority positions. I have two sons who don't swallow the koolaide, and if they are handed some, will ask their mother's opinion before they drink it.

And then lastly, we have the older crowd, who grew up in bygone eras where they took the government word as gospel, and do not believe their own government would lie to them, or lead them astray. The days of trusting our government are over.

The world has no place for sheeple anymore, and I have little sympathy/empathy(save for my kinfolk) for those who refuse to educate themselves and break free from the self placed blinders of sheepledom.

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


I'd like to go back about ten thousand years or more as to when people became sheeple. Whether it's been religion, politics, economics (pick any topic) and you'll find the common theme is the manipulation of the masses as the key. I realize this may be a general statement and I meant it to be that way. There's a sucker born every minute. Today, there are billions of them.

reply to post by Trustnoone1987


Fair enough. I think the underlying reason is akin to the 'Mob Mentality'. For those not familiar with this, it is the psychological principle that even when a person independantly wouldn't do something or believe something, when surrounded by a mob that thinks otherwise, gets swept up into it. As an example, the Red States and the Blue States. Now if everyone was independently sorting through political issues and never spoke to anyone else about it, then statistically each state should be about the same percentage of Democrats and Republicans. But since we all talk about the issues with friends, family and coworkers, we tend to get overloaded one way or another. It's much easier to follow the crowd, especially if they are people you care about and value their opinion. Now, you add in disinformation, deception, and the 'Puppetmasters' or Shepards, and viola, Sheeple.

From my observation, there were once sources that one could truly trust - my mom has her Berkeley Wellness Letter, for example, and her Consumer Reports. She trusts them as some trust the Bible. She refuses to believe that they might be fooled or infiltrated, but BOTH publications promoted fluoride in one way or another...and for this alone I must believe someone was paid off, or duped or they were infiltrated.

But she refuses to even hear of it, and insists that fluoride does a set of teeth good - not because she has seen the research (which shows the opposite, actually) but because HER publications said so!

What can one do?

Ignorance is Bliss... i have been told...
or from an Orwellian perspective "Ignorance is Strength"

A lot of this gullibility i think is part of the human condition...
most people are intellectually lazy, shallow and self-absorbed.
All these primal/visceral characteristics are fully expressed in how messed up the world is.

This issue is quite a complex one...

Sheeple. Well. In some regards I envy these type of people. They remain oblivious, and ignorant and essentially live in a little box that has only one window.

Somehow some of us were able to slowly climb out of that box, stand on top of it, and look all around us and realize there is a lot more out there than what we are programmed to see or believe.

I always give this example to some of my like-minded friends. I asked one of my co-workers why it was that he was a republican. His very forthright answer was simple. His parents were, and thus he became one too.

Not entirely sure why it is some of us are able to pull ourselves out of this box, but I do believe somewhat that it is either your upbringing, or perhaps you were enlightened by some event that was so far removed from your ideological beliefs that a light-bulb went off in your head.

I believe that those of us who question and value our minds have a heavy burden. It is hard to convince people to realize how much they have been lied to...even I admit, it is a tough thing for me to swallow, considering I know that a huge chunk of my earnings goes to support efforts that are totally contrary to my beliefs.


So why is it that sheeple exist? I think people are too scared to accept the alternative. It is easier to follow, than to think.

reply to post by SciDoc

I think you hit the nail on the head.

The other night, during my unforseen storm related 'vacation' from work I had a few beers. In my tipsy state, my sister and I were discussing sheeple, the government, oh yall know, these topics we discuss here at ATS. I made the comment jokingly, that knowing things were not right in the world, being one of the nonsheeple was a 'curse' at times.

Oh lord, she has giggled and made fun of me for that for days.

But sometimes, it seems like it, when you try to discuss topics with others who are so far sheeplized they actually get angry when you broach certain topics (9/11 can set people off in a flash, IF you dont toe the goverment line, for example). It can be frustrating and difficult to try and discuss what I call 'alternative' topics with regular other citizens, like coworkers or even friends.

I dont consider it a curse, btw, I was just trying to make a joke. But, it can definately be a burden to think out of the box sometimes.

reply to post by hotbakedtater


lol

I totally hear ya'

I try to talk with the boys at work about politics and such - being that i am the only female in the lab, i don't think they really are interested in makeup or shoes - I find it interesting that I am the only one that offers anything to the conversation. Most of the time I feel like I am talking to a wall and once in a while I get a "yea, thats true" or "yea, sounds interesting"...just wanna shake these people some times and tell them "WAKE UP!"....lol!!

I love the box analogy scidoc

Reminds me of Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave" in Book VII of The Republic

Though i haven't found a metaphor for the worst of the herd. The sheeple who not only believe the lies but who also go out of their way to spread them even further.

They make me want to reach through the radio, tv and internet... and kill.

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


thats kind of a funny question .. especially at this web site... people believe anything in here.. .big foot in a freezer... the federation of light landing in alabama.. reptilians eating humans.. stargates... moon bases., moon landing hoax.... hollow earth.... flat earth.. lol.. on and on.. good luck.. I mean that in a sincere way..

people believe what ever it is they wish to believe.

Even as children some believed there was a boogyman in the closet. This made the childhood fear very real. Some of us have grown up and out of fear of boogiemen hidding while others need such fears to keep them from facing the real boogyman.

The real boogyman is within you, and not within others.

philjwolf & Incarnated

Just to clarify JaxonRoberts original premise ...
he's referring to more concrete subject matters within religion, politics and economics (he provides examples) where the truth is often sidelined by the masses who naively believe in obvious lies.

"Why are people in general so easy to deceive?"
could be elaborated to...
"Why are people in general so easily deceived by the church, government and media?"

[edit on 25-9-2008 by The All Seeing I]

Originally posted by JaxonRoberts
Why are people in general so easy to deceive?

The question has been asked for thousands of years. I think it's mainly due to the control of information. Of course, some people are just naturally stupid.



[edit on 25-9-2008 by In nothing we trust]