Thread: What makes some more susceptible to media brain washing?

It never fails to amuse me how susceptible 'allegedly' intelligent people are to brain washing by the media.

Example 1
Every thread I see on a science forum with anti Islamic tones is filled with ignorance, and were I to forget I was on a science forum, I'd think I was reading the ignorant ramblings of school children with a second rate education. This is not to say some of the opinions expressed are not valid, but much of what I see is so out of proportion to the truth and filled with sweeping generalizations. Given the enormity of the Islamic population it is impossible for the statements made to be true and easily demonstrated they are not.

Meanwhile I know that the people posting ARE intelligent (mostly), so I can only assume the reason for the ignorance is media brain washing.

Example 2
Heather Mills McCartney is getting a roasting by the press for what amounts to (even if true which I doubt) is minor deception within her personal relationships which many people are guilty of at some point or other. It is like 'So What if she told he boyfriend she was going to A and she went to B'...who cares. Making front page news with this nonsense is JUST a distraction from real world politics.

Meanwhile the UK public are sucking it up and cannot be objective. Few are sympathetic to this woman even though she's committed NO crimes and has spent the last 20yrs of her life doing charity work. In short they've been brainwashed.

More on that here:
http://www.problogs.com/Post3601.htm

I wonder why it is some people are immune to this type of influence and others are just sucked into it and seem unable to separate truth from propaganda and remain objective.

Perhaps it is merely ignorance of how the Political machine works?

Originally Posted by Theoryofrelativity

Meanwhile the UK public are sucking it up and cannot be objective. Few are sympathetic to this woman even though she's committed NO crimes and has spent the last 20yrs of her life doing charity work. In short they've been brainwashed.....

....Perhaps it is merely ignorance of how the Political machine works?

I think where Heather Mills is concerned women have no sympathy because they know that themselves as women can go for the sympathy "vote. Men alike more or less know the same reason.

I must express that when I've seen her her body language has been inconsistent with what she's saying, noticing that consciously I noticed only "through my sub conscious thinking-she's up to something. This was picked up by my sub-conscious so I think people see her when she defends her self or attacks viewpoints of others-she is inconsistent and all people see that. I find her false crying a bit pathetic actually. She may be going through a rough time but just look at her and look at her body language and you'll see incongruence.

On the other hand maybe people just believe what the media tell them to beleive, and perhaps Paul tells the media what to believe its really quite that simple, but thats just another view along side the countless others.

No doubt the media will always control people, I mean influence because they are weak willed and have been raised in such a way as to them being that way. Poor souls.

On a final note people when they can get a chance to tell others they are wrong to hide their own wrongdoings-they will. There is a quote to this that is very old and was said by Jesus....

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Originally Posted by Theoryofrelativity

I wonder why it is some people are immune to this type of influence and others are just sucked into it and seem unable to separate truth from propaganda and remain objective.

Simple, people don't believe what they don't want to. And. People believe what they want to. Both of these are true regardless of what information you throw at them. Why they do this is due to their own insecurities, securities and whatever they find reason in doing so for.

Re 'seing Heather is inconsistant' - I will say it again


"SO WHAT"

Who cares??? Why does the public care about this triviality.

Regardless of your opinion re croc tears or real, she only did those interviews because for several months she's been slated in the press and hounded by Paps.

All she is doing is getting divorced. Divorces are messy.

She is getting worse press than Omar Bin laden and Saddam Hussain put together.

PERSPECTIVE people.

WHO cares if this woman tells the odd white lie, who the F**k doesn't?

This is what I mean by brain washing. The fact you are wasting your time analysing this womans body language and casting a 'judgement' shows you've been brainwashed into considering it relevant.

This has got to be some of the most rampant, sensationalist and irrelevant reporting I have ever come across.

I don't give a toss if she's lying or not, because it's not important. She is not a criminal and doesn't deserve all this press attention.


Get a LIFE UK!

No idea who this Heather Mills is. As for Islam, I am somewhat sceptical about the views of 'most' people without some evidence to back up such an assertion. In my talks with Christians I have often found that they had never even read the bible in full and didn't understand most of the key concepts of their particular branch of Christianity.

I doubt most people are interested in reading the Qu'ran just for the sake of understanding someone else's religion, but I also doubt that these claims made by the media are somehow unrelated to the claims Islam makes for itself.

Originally Posted by HomoUniversalis

No idea who this Heather Mills is. As for Islam, I am somewhat sceptical about the views of 'most' people without some evidence to back up such an assertion. In my talks with Christians I have often found that they had never even read the bible in full and didn't understand most of the key concepts of their particular branch of Christianity.

I doubt most people are interested in reading the Qu'ran just for the sake of understanding someone else's religion, but I also doubt that these claims made by the media are somehow unrelated to the claims Islam makes for itself.

And therein lies the problem

Doubting that the media lie , twist and pevert.

Is this brainwashing facilitated by naivity perhaps?

i know full-well, and first-hand the perversion and sensatiolism of media,
and the manner they are capable of twisting the truth.
much of it around the iraq/afghanistan wars.
there isn't really an overlying malicious intent.
its just that sensation sells, and journalists, takes a LOT of artistic license in their article, in order to make it more fun to read.
i remember something my mother said when i was about 7,
"all this war, and nonsense in the news, *sigh* i think its a lot better with these happy news".
theres also the individual journalists biases, and general lack of knowledge playing in.
usually, you dont get a good idea of what actually happened, until years later, after meticolous analysis by experts.

i think it all boils down to a basic human wish for everything to be simple,
and we will go through significant trouble to keep things as simple as possible.

Originally Posted by dejawolf

i know full-well, and first-hand the perversion and sensatiolism of media,
and the manner they are capable of twisting the truth.
much of it around the iraq/afghanistan wars.
there isn't really an overlying malicious intent.
its just that sensation sells, and journalists, takes a LOT of artistic license in their article, in order to make it more fun to read.
i remember something my mother said when i was about 7,
"all this war, and nonsense in the news, *sigh* i think its a lot better with these happy news".
theres also the individual journalists biases, and general lack of knowledge playing in.
usually, you dont get a good idea of what actually happened, until years later, after meticolous analysis by experts.

i think it all boils down to a basic human wish for everything to be simple,
and we will go through significant trouble to keep things as simple as possible.

May it also have something to do with the fact most the USA press is owned by Jews? Just a thought.

The media influences us the question is , who influences the media?

When I lsiten to the news I find myself agreeeing with one story and not with another. Why that is, I don't know. Have I preprogrammed myself to reject certain stories as fact and accept others? Whenever I catch myself doing this I have to tell myself that I'm am only hearing the one side I want to hear or the side someone else wants me to hear. There is obviously two sides to every story, every argument and every divorce .

I think experience is the key factor. There is truth in the old adage that with age comes wisdom. Wisdom does not necessarily mean intelligence in this case but with every day of life spent you accumulate a basic understanding of the human characteristic. We lie or stretch the truth to suit our need on a consistent basis. Somewhere in there you have to become good at separating the fact from fiction. Its a form of mind control really with the difference between it and brainwashing being that you are responsible for keeping your mind open and staying in control.

Originally Posted by zinjanthropos

When I lsiten to the news I find myself agreeeing with one story and not with another. Why that is, I don't know. Have I preprogrammed myself to reject certain stories as fact and accept others? Whenever I catch myself doing this I have to tell myself that I'm am only hearing the one side I want to hear or the side someone else wants me to hear. There is obviously two sides to every story, every argument and every divorce .

I think experience is the key factor. There is truth in the old adage that with age comes wisdom. Wisdom does not necessarily mean intelligence in this case but with every day of life spent you accumulate a basic understanding of the human characteristic. We lie or stretch the truth to suit our need on a consistent basis. Somewhere in there you have to become good at separating the fact from fiction. Its a form of mind control really with the difference between it and brainwashing being that you are responsible for keeping your mind open and staying in control.

let us assume 100% of what you read is lies, then where does your decision process take you?

When it comes to celebrity gossip, I think it's fair to say truth is neither here nor there.

I stopped paying attention to the media. There isn't any real information to get there.

It's a circus.

And I hate clowns.

Originally Posted by Theoryofrelativity

let us assume 100% of what you read is lies, then where does your decision process take you?

Then its a lie.

Who can you expect to lie:
1. Politician
2. CEO
3. Employee
4. Vendor
5. Criminal

That's just for starters. Care to add to it?

Originally Posted by Theoryofrelativity

Originally Posted by HomoUniversalis

No idea who this Heather Mills is. As for Islam, I am somewhat sceptical about the views of 'most' people without some evidence to back up such an assertion. In my talks with Christians I have often found that they had never even read the bible in full and didn't understand most of the key concepts of their particular branch of Christianity.

I doubt most people are interested in reading the Qu'ran just for the sake of understanding someone else's religion, but I also doubt that these claims made by the media are somehow unrelated to the claims Islam makes for itself.

And therein lies the problem

Doubting that the media lie , twist and pevert.

Is this brainwashing facilitated by naivity perhaps?

So now doubting your position for which you have provided no evidence whatsoever is naivety?

You rest your case on as much as two cases - one requiring that I heard of a woman of which I have never heard (clearly meaning the 'media' coverage is not as expansive as you made it appear) and the second that some people have opinions on Islam that are not factually correct.

If you feel that the media are misrepresenting Islam, you can make a random selection of a wide range of reports on Islam and weigh those claims versus expert sources. There are scientific methods that provide evidence to your now unfounded claims.

To expect of me to follow in a simplistic rant against 'the media', which seems to be closest related to the the 'They' and 'Them' of conspiracy-theorists is thinking too low of me. I am a scientist.

Homo

I have no need to present arguments against the 'facts' presented falsley withg regard to Islam in this thread, I have done it in the relevant threads at the relevant time. No point in repetition. Plus it gets boring repeating the same thing over and over again.

With regard to Heather Mills, everyone in the UK is aware of that story, not sure where you are located so you may not be aware.

Also the examples were presented not to be the 'focus' of the debate but to illustrate a point remedia brainwashing , as I see it.

Perhaps you can draw on your own examples and experiences of where this may have occurred.

I see it daily myself.

ToR, So what is your devout reason for sticking up for her? Why should I give two hoots about something I can't change at the moment? I haven't analsyed her body language-I don't sit there like press reporters do for hours looking at it, I just noticed it, no need to bite my head off bloody hell.

Also the examples were presented not to be the 'focus' of the debate but to illustrate a point remedia brainwashing , as I see it.

Anecdotes rarely suffice because they might be as much of a rule as an artefact. There are answers in psychology/sociology to quantify misinformation, and the degree in which certain media misrepresent certain information. I understand you might be unwilling to pursue such a path, but your requirement to go out of your way to call me naive I find harder to understand.

It never fails to amuse me how susceptible 'allegedly' intelligent people are to brain washing by the media.

After such claims, I think the onus lies entirely with you to establish a meaningful argument here. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this thread?

Originally Posted by svwillmer

ToR, So what is your devout reason for sticking up for her? Why should I give two hoots about something I can't change at the moment? I haven't analsyed her body language-I don't sit there like press reporters do for hours looking at it, I just noticed it, no need to bite my head off bloody hell.

haha, sorry you saw it like that! I promise your head is well and truely in tact. I posted that message a few places, so not personal to you.


I'm sticking up for her as no single person who has NOT commited any crime deserves this type of hounding. There are more important things going on in the world than an ex Beetles divorce.

Originally Posted by HomoUniversalis

Also the examples were presented not to be the 'focus' of the debate but to illustrate a point remedia brainwashing , as I see it.

Anecdotes rarely suffice because they might be as much of a rule as an artefact. There are answers in psychology/sociology to quantify misinformation, and the degree in which certain media misrepresent certain information. I understand you might be unwilling to pursue such a path, but your requirement to go out of your way to call me naive I find harder to understand.

It never fails to amuse me how susceptible 'allegedly' intelligent people are to brain washing by the media.

After such claims, I think the onus lies entirely with you to establish a meaningful argument here. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this thread?

Did I go out of my way to call 'you' naive?

Not only did I not call 'YOU' naive, it was a general question which may indeed have included you but not specifically but I also never went out of my to do it. It was very easy in fact, just tapped a few keys. Interesting perception you have there though. I feel the question was valid. Naivity and susceptibility to brain washing most likely are linked.

Re this thread, if I have to explain and 'prove' that the media influences people or that they tell lies, then I have indeed underestimated the level of comprehension of people on this forum. Perhaps awareness of these issues comes with age? I am astounded that you are unaware that this is the case and require proof. Really I am.

I had thought it common knowledge hence no proof required. I was being generous by providing examples as it was. None should have been necessary.

If however you are indeed unaware of the media's influence/lies then I will try to find you a good link.

Meanwhile back on topic

The question is 'why are some more easily influenced by media than others'?.

Is it a genetic predisposition to follow the crowd, is it the 'sheep' mentality and hence those who are not 'sheep' are not 'led' to a judgement so easily or is it naivity of the fact that the press tells us lies on a daily basis?

Is it perhaps the way we are raised, to take what we read with a pinch of salt and question everything or to believe everything you see in print?

Originally Posted by spuriousmonkey

I stopped paying attention to the media. There isn't any real information to get there.

It's a circus.

And I hate clowns.

absolutely agreed.

If I find out what is going on in the world then I know for fact it's being shoved in my throat as I do not read/listen the news or buy newspapers.
BUT I have heard this HMills story on every TV show I have come across when I haven't even been watching those either so really it IS massive exposure overload to this single woman in the UK and my friends are talking about it!

Re the ISlam thing well that's another one. I am fed up of seeing ill informed threads and questions springing up on forums all the time. Not so much on TV but clearly the press leads the way with this one.

So what in our characters allows this point to be so clear and yet not for others?

I agree with you ToR. Tax payers money could go to better areas than allowing millions of pounds instead of chasing some celebrities.

Originally Posted by Theoryofrelativity

absolutely agreed.

If I find out what is going on in the world then I know for fact it's being shoved in my throat as I do not read/listen the news or buy newspapers.
BUT I have heard this HMills story on every TV show I have come across when I haven't even been watching those either so really it IS massive exposure overload to this single woman in the UK and my friends are talking about it!

People have learned not to ask me whether I have seen a program on TV the other day, or if I have read about a certain 'event'.

Because I usually haven't.

Life does become more natural without the media circus. The world isn't all anguish, misery and fear. Terrorists are non-existing.

Instead you sit in your comfy chair reading a book.

Going on a forum can seriously distort this peace though.

Forums tend to be heavily polarized. Right vs left. Good vs evil. Terrorists vs christians. and more of that bullshit.

It's... depressing! That's not what human interaction is all about. How much more can you learn from having a real discussion on life in 'real life'?!

Why do we indeed have the urge to make ourselves vulnerable and miserable by exposing us to the media and polarizing our though?

Dunno.