I Don’t Like Your Tactics: Psychology of Conformity

[Michi713]

Thread about social engineering tricks, marketing and propaganda

 

You’d be surprised at how much of our daily thoughts and activity are a product of propaganda and marketing tactics. 
 

Anxiety-Driven Conformity:

 

From Culture of Narcissism (Lasch):

 

”No longer trapped in the labor of self-defense, he (Paul Zewig) has anesthetized that part of himself which is constructed of mental busyness...glued together by obsessive thinking and propelled by anxiety.”

 

From Brandwashed (Lindstrom):

 

A study used MRI to see how peer pressure works in the brain.  Teenagers were instructed to rate clips of songs online, then they revealed whether the songs were popular or not.  “When the participants own ratings of music matched up with what was revealed to be popular, there was activity in an area of the brain connected to rewards.  When subjects liked a songs that turned out to be unpopular, areas associated with anxiety lit up.”

 

“The researchers concluded that this “mismatch anxiety” motivates people to switch their choices in the direction of the consensus, suggesting that this is a major force behind conformity in teenagers’ music choice.”

 

The author goes on to apply the same techniques to adult women with respect to Louis Vuitton bags, citing that the women claimed to admire the bags for their quality and durability.  However their MRI results showed activity in the “Brodmann area 10, the region of the brain activated when something is perceived as ‘cool.’”  

One can conclude that most people are so brainwashed by marketing they even bullshit themselves.

 

Point is psychology has been studied intently by governments, social engineers, and corporate interests to the point of predicting our every motivation before we do.  A formidable force.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2020 by Michi713

[Michi713]

Propaganda Disguised As Facts

 

From Culture of Nasrcissism:

“The master propagandist, like the ad expert, avoids obvious emotional appeals and strives for a tone that is consistent with the prosaic quality of modern life - a dry, bland matter-of-factness.  Nor does the propagandist circulate overtly biased information.  He knows that partial truths serve as more effective instruments of deception than lies.”

 

Can you think of any examples of this technique in action today?  

How about the sharp increase of covid 19 cases!  (Omit the fact that testing has increased).

”Due to an (increase in covid cases) the present regime should be given emergency powers to deal with the developing crisis.”

 

”By using accurate details to imply a misleading picture of the whole, the artful propagandist makes truth the principal form of falsehood.”(Lasch).  There’s your inversion. 
 

This approach nevertheless appeals to emotions because “an educated public craves facts and cherishes the illusion of being well-informed.”(Lasch)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Michi713]

 

The First Great Power of TV Media and Why the Hospital Overload Debacle Occurred

 

From The Social Animal by Elliot Aronson:

 

Emotional contagion is the rapid transmission of emotions (fear, paranoia) through a crowd.  News story selection and emphasis gives the media the power to incite emotional contagion and thus gives them complete control of our present and future! 

In 1982 seven people died from Tylenol laced with cyanide.  The story ran across the US for several days until fake, copycat poisonings were reported across the country.  Cyanide was suddenly in everything from soda cans to eye drops and the media reported that too.  Widespread panic ensued until everyone had cyanide poisoning.  If they had a sore throat or indigestion they were in the emergency room with cyanide poisoning.  
 

This is why hospitals prepared for bedlam when the “pandemic” began.  They were anticipating tidal waves of frantic hypochondriacs.  The only reason that didn’t happen was fear of quarantine.  

This minor glitch in the planning didn’t upset the big picture, did it?
How, despite the undeniable evidence of empty hospitals, proving the pandemic was a hoax, did widespread panic nevertheless proliferate throughout the world?

 

The answers to this will be explained in the next entry. 

 

 

 

[Michi713]

How This Shit Show Happened and Why You Can’t Sway Covidiots

 

The Three Steps To Conformity

Now, you should listen to this cause this concerns you. 
 

From The Social Animal (Aronson):

 

1. “Compliance  is motivated by a desire to gain reward or avoid punishment.  On the level of compliance, most researchers see little difference between human and animal behavior because all organisms are responsive to concrete rewards and punishments.”
 

The Milgram Experiment demonstrated that compliance is most successful when authority figures, the ones who possess that miraculous quality of credibility, are in close proximity.  
 

In the case of corona compliance it is not the police or military who are the effectual authorities.  It is the “experts“ and government officials on the TV.  They are not only always in close proximity, but they are always present!  Omnipresence is the second great power of the media.  And consequences don’t even have to be real, just implied. 

 

2. “Identification is the response to social influence brought about by an individual’s desire to be like an influencer.”

 

The book’s example of an influencer is “Uncle Charlie.”  He is likable, dynamic, all the qualities you admire, and he has strong opinions to which you adopt because Uncle Charlie is cool.  

 

Compared to real life family and friends who are flawed and always disappoint you, the TV and internet provide an endless array of Uncle Charlies for you to select from.  All with a niche designed especially for you, yet all emitting the same message of conformity.  They are physically closer to you than family and friends.  They reside in your living rooms, bedrooms, even in the palm of your hand.  
 

3. And this is why you can’t even knock sense into someone because they will never get it.  
“Internalization of a value or belief is the most permanent, most deeply rooted response to social influence.” 
Internalization is the need to be right!  
 

Compliance and identification are no longer needed when a true believer is created.  Secondary gain happens when an individual discovers additional reasons why their conformity is worthwhile.  

 

Wearing a face diaper not only saved Grammy and Grampy, but it even saved the world! 

This is why you can supply mountains of data to counter the coronavirus and still fail to sway even your own family.  It is too late.
 

How many true believers have you encountered in your town?  
 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2020 by Michi713

[Michael]

2 hours ago, Michi713 said:

How many true believers have you encountered in your town? 

Its hard to say.

Someone that wears a mask is either compliant because he/she fears consequences is afraid or is doing it because everyone is doing it.

From my personal experience there are a lot that think Covid is real, a couple that know whats up but comply anyway (they dont want trouble) and in both these instances they feel saver because everyone is doing it. (be it invisible or afraid of others or for others)

 

So in either case, i bookmark it as "fallen into the trap".

When i go into town (i live on the country side) and without meaning it arrogant or special i never encountered anyone since these 7 months that refuses the mask.

None, not one soul.

There are some people i know that dont do it, but i never encountered them in town myself.

So from pure observation, there are 99,9% of these people.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Michael

[Michi713]

6 hours ago, Michael said:

a couple that know whats up but comply anyway (they dont want trouble) and in both these instances they feel saver because everyone is doing it. (be it invisible or afraid of others or for others)

 

Yes good observations.

 

Leads to another factor of conformity, the “psychology of the inevitable” (Aronson).  “When a situation arises that is both negative and inevitable, people attempt to make the best of things by cognitively minimizing the unpleasantness of the situation.”

 

A study is cited where children had to eat a vegetable they disliked.  After they had eaten the vegetable, the experimenter told half of the children they will be eating much more of the vegetable in the future.  The other half were not told this.  The group that expected to eat more of the yucky vegetable succeeded in convincing themselves it was not so bad.  
 

The cognition of disliking wearing a face diaper is dissonant with “I will inevitably have to wear the mask a lot in months/years to come.”  To reduce the dissonance some people convinced themselves it is not such a big deal.  

 

 

[Michael]

8 hours ago, Michi713 said:

 

A study is cited where children had to eat a vegetable they disliked.  After they had eaten the vegetable, the experimenter told half of the children they will be eating much more of the vegetable in the future.  The other half were not told this.  The group that expected to eat more of the yucky vegetable succeeded in convincing themselves it was not so bad.  
 

The cognition of disliking wearing a face diaper is dissonant with “I will inevitably have to wear the mask a lot in months/years to come.”  To reduce the dissonance some people convinced themselves it is not such a big deal.  

 

 

 

The test with the children is a good example. However, in my eyes this can also be looked at from a different angle.

Lets say you are afraid of spiders. Now consequently you avoid those little animals and keep being afraid of them.(this can have many reasons)

But if you then simply start to hold them in your hands for a while and see how you react, you get less and less scared of them simply because you condition your mind differently. If you face the "threat" directly, it becomes less and less scary.

Same with food. You might simply not like some specific food and keep that all your life and avoid it. But if you start to embrace that food, you might discover its not as bad as you made it out to be.

 

So it can be looked from a different angle and still can mean what you desribed.

Of course your example is also completly right, as thats how psychology works. If you know you have to do something not for a short period, but a long period, you consequently try to familiarize yourself with the problem and accept it. The difference between what i said is that one is done out of free choice, the other is forced.

 

In your second example: “I will inevitably have to wear the mask a lot in months/years to come.”  To reduce the dissonance some people convinced themselves it is not such a big deal, i can confirm this firsthand.

 

A couple of months ago, i went to a hardware store and they asked me if i am exempt from wearing a face mask (because i never wear them anyway). So i said yes, i have a certificate for that. She then said, that i have to show it to the reception before entering the store, which i did.

The lady there then asked out of curiosity why i would not wear it. She meant you are just here briefly, surely wearing a mask for such a short time in the store cannot be a big deal. I kept silent.

 

My sister also told me, that she doesent care about mask wearing anymore. She said, she got used to it and its no big deal for her anymore. Its normal for her now.

And i screamed inside of me and thought: Thats exactly the point where they want you to be,.....facepalm. But obviously i could not told her that as she doesent want to hear it.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by Michael

[Michi713]

@MichaelOut of curiosity.  If it’s not too intrusive, when you enter a store without a mask and almost everyone else has them, how do you feel?

[Michael]

22 minutes ago, Michi713 said:

@MichaelOut of curiosity.  If it’s not too intrusive, when you enter a store without a mask and almost everyone else has them, how do you feel?

No problem, i gladly answer it.

To me its a mix between sadness, self respect and unease.

 

Sad, to see others afraid or in complete obedience to criminals

Self Respect, because i am not complying to something a guy in a suit orders me to do

Unease because you feel and know that others think of you as someone who is careless

 

Out of curiosity: How do you feel?

[Michi713]

Thank you.  I asked because my local Target lifted the mask rule because, of course, their sales were suffering.  And their cameras were likely recording shoppers hurrying in and out as opposed to hanging out.  (It used to be the town hangout on rainy days.  Lame I know).

 

But most of the people still had masks on, except for a few.  To answer your question my knee jerk reaction was anxiety.  For having my face out and not being able to read anyone’s reaction to my face being out.  I calmed down by assuming they really didn’t care about my face and were just doing their thing.  
 

Because Americans tend to be self absorbed, especially when shopping, I would assume the truth is they really could care less.  
 

Not being able to read faces is freaky, and I see how previously stable people could suffer from schizophrenic episodes when out in public.  

 

[Michael]

43 minutes ago, Michi713 said:

Thank you.  I asked because my local Target lifted the mask rule because, of course, their sales were suffering.  And their cameras were likely recording shoppers hurrying in and out as opposed to hanging out.  (It used to be the town hangout on rainy days.  Lame I know).

 

But most of the people still had masks on, except for a few.  To answer your question my knee jerk reaction was anxiety.  For having my face out and not being able to read anyone’s reaction to my face being out.  I calmed down by assuming they really didn’t care about my face and were just doing their thing.  
 

Because Americans tend to be self absorbed, especially when shopping, I would assume the truth is they really could care less.  
 

Not being able to read faces is freaky, and I see how previously stable people could suffer from schizophrenic episodes when out in public.  

 

Thanks for the reply Michi, apprichiate it

[Michi713]

Nudge and Daniel Kahneman the Petty Hustler

 

Nudge is a slang term for the exploitation of judgmental heuristics (mental shortcuts). Daniel Kahneman is the HNIC of judgmental heuristics.  He even won a Nobel Prize for identifying ways to leverage this particular human vulnerability. 

Many of his findings are explained fully in his book Thinking Fast and Slow. 

 

Every reflexive choice we make has been studied intently by governments, businesses, and Silicon Valley and used to steer consensus. 

 

A brief overview of the strategies your government uses are on pages 19-28 of the MINDSPACE document, which is often referred to on ukcolumn. 

 

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/MINDSPACE.pdf

 

I will define some of the strategies in the following posts, sparing some of the more obvious ones: expert credibility factor and influencing norms.
 

INCENTIVES- exploiting people’s cost/benefit analyses

 

1.  Avoiding a loss is more powerful than a gain.  Example: a tax on “bad behavior” is more effective than a credit 

 

2. Framing effect - decisions influenced by the way information is presented; a classic advertising trick.  90% sugar free versus 10% sugar.

 

3.  We overweight small probabilities! Ex. 6% deaths due to covid is given more weight than 94% survival rate! 

4.  The government will design little, bite-sized rewards to ensure compliance with a grander plan.  This exploits the human tendency to live today at the expense of tomorrow. (They also include a Robert Greene style reversal:  too many incentives will lead people to comply only for incentives, so add a secondary gain). 
 

DEFAULTS - pre-selected options if an individual doesn’t make an active choice.  They exert influence as individuals regularly accept the default, even if there are consequences.  They include a nifty graph to illustrate this heuristic.  As you can see, there are more organ donors in the group that was presented with the “opt-out” option. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2020 by Michi713

[Michi713]

SALIENCE -  People are more likely to register stimuli that are novel, accessible and simple. 

 

Anchoring - human tendency to rely heavily on one piece of information when making decisions

 

“The power of anchors is that they work even if they are totally arbitrary.” 

Example: If people are asked to write down the last two digits of their Social Security number, this anchors the amount of money they bid for items and their estimates of historical events! 

Anchors endure over time and it’s related to confirmation bias.  Therefore government advice may have extra power if it acts as an initial anchor.  Anchoring is more effective if done at significant life changes such as moving or marriage.”

 

Question for you:  Do you consider the pandemic event to be significant in your life?  If so, what possible anchors have been lowered into your mind? 

Or, if you’re too cool for school, what anchors have been put into the masses? 

[FVCK BILLY G4TES]

Very well layed out thread. More people should learn about crowd psychology and emotional manipulation because then they will be able to see how this all works in practice. If you see how the magician does the trick, it doesn't have an effect anymore.

 

However, thanks to the data that Tech companies have been gathering for decades on the civilian population, this has made the New World Order infintely easier for them because they know how people react to situations. The computer models and data tells the think-tanks and Banking cartels all the information they need for the control system.

 

I tend to be very cynical myself, after everything i've seen and looked into up to this point it is easy to come to the conclusion that many people are in the sunken place in one way or another...

 

Would like to hear your analysis on idealogical subversion and demoralisation (Yuri Bezmenov).

 

I'm sure you've seen it but i'll post it here anyway

 

Edited November 5, 2020 by FVCK BILLY G4TES

[Michi713]

@FVCK BILLY G4TES Thanks, I only saw a little clip from the Yuri Bezmenov talk.  I will listen to it.  

[Michi713]

PRIMING - sub-conscious cues that influence behavior 

Many things can act as primes, not just subliminal messages. 

 

1.Words

Example:  Exposing people to words relating to the elderly (e.g. “wrinkles”) meant they subsequently walked more slowly when leaving the room and had poorer memory in the room.  They had been primed with an elderly stereotype and behaved accordingly.

 

2.Sights

Example a. A happy face presented subliminally to someone drinking causes them to drink more than those exposed to a frowning face. 

Example b. Size of food containers primes subsequent eating.  Larger containers encouraged subjects to eat more food than smaller ones. 

 

Certain objects in the environment can alter behavior.

Question for you:  What behaviors are masks, hand sanitizers, and rubber gloves priming us for? 

 

AFFECT - emotional associations can powerfully shape our actions.  

Emotional responses are rapid and automatic, so people can react without realizing what they are reacting to.  

All perceptions contain some emotion. 

 

Propagandists use facial expressions, words, and images to evoke feelings of disgust, inferiority, pride...

 

What emotional responses have you been primed for?  How do you react to the poor and unfashionable?  The elderly and infirm? 

[Michi713]

Oh and they included a side note to occasionally lead you on a merry dance of pre-planned “reasoning” exercises, so you can have the illusion of being logical thinkers! 

 

On page 50 of MINDSPACE it mentions using public service workers as spies to gather information for the behavioral insights team.  Your facial expressions are also recorded and analyzed to identify true emotions, the ones that can only be detected in split seconds, to identify effective ways to target you.  So cover up those camera lenses when you can.

[Michi713]

@FVCK BILLY G4TES

 

Re: Yuri Bezmenov video

 

I’m blown away.  I’m incompetent to provide anything of more value than what was said in that video.  It’s the most important thing to see in this thread.

 

“They cling to their guns and their Bibles” said Obama, the radicalized, homosexual agent of destabilization.  He said it with contempt and ridicule, as more than half of Americans flashed their eyes with a hint of the same revulsion towards what is now the minority.  

 

Exactly where is your country on Bezmenov’s  linear progression from demoralization to normalization? 

 

Demorilization —> destabilization —> crisis —> normalization

 

I think the US in the normalization stage.  The country has been tested by the corona crisis and the George Floyd crisis.  The country was baffled and afraid.  Only a literal handful came out with their guns, wearing their crosses.  Only a few recognized the civil war for what it was.  

 

The rest descended back into meaningless consumption, as Yuri Bezmenov said, “worms, inlet and outlet.”

 

How can anyone fight subversion in their own minds if they have a TV in their home?  

 

I think about my dad and stepmother, Christians who watch CNN every night and now won’t visit their grandson or come to Thanksgiving at our house because the TV told them not to.

 

My mom reads the Bible and prays, but can’t feel anything because of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors circulating in her system. 

 

I think about where I am, the south, surrounded by hundreds of churches and I wonder how many of these churches have been subverted by the same demoralization and destabilization agents.  

 

The church I have been going to down the street from my house has been pulled out of multimillion dollar debt, taken over by a “Christian” bank.  The new pastor put a store in the church building and is pushing for million dollar expansion on land they don’t own.  I suspect he is operating under the influence of that banking entity.  

 

The children’s Bible school teaches Bible stories with cartoon animations and the children are encouraged to regurgitate irrelevant details back to the teacher, color, play, and go on their merry way.  

 

So I’m with you on the cynicism regarding the rest of everyone else, but haven’t given up on myself and my son.  Hope you haven’t given up either. 

[Michi713]

From We Have Been Harmonized: Life In China’s Surveillance State by Kai Strittmatter:

 

The Mission of the Great Yu

 

“The Great Yu was a mythical emperor who tamed the huge river in Chinese legend.  The Great Yu had learned from the catastrophic experiences of his predecessors, who could come up with no better solution than simply damming the river, though the dams soon broke again.  “But the Great Yu relied on a combination of damming and channeling; he stopped the flow in one place and let it go again in another.  That brought him success.  And this is even more necessary with public opinion.  Free speech is a natural force that requires clever taming.”

 

Kind of like locking down society and then letting us out to pasture now and then.  Like sacrificing one or two hated politicians to please dissenters, but showing who really is in control by military occupation of the US capitol.  Or the controlled rollout of the covid vaccines, keeping supply and demand in check while squashing any reports of adverse effects...