I'm surprised I've never heard of Barnays, it seems he's had a huge influence on modern society. But then again he predicted I wouldn't. In his 1928 book Propaganda he wrote:

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4612464

Freud's nephew, responsible for the coining of the term, "Public Relations," and the modern lifestyle-marketing that's become a way of life among consumer culture.

This guy has DOUBLE JOWLS! Both mouth AND nose jowls!

Ironically enough, there's a bacon company called Jowls.

This bums me out! I thought I just really liked bacon for breakfast because it is really good. Now I find I have been programmed to like bacon for breakfast. Am I gonna find out this guy's also responsable for all my other "enthusiasms".

Another absurd breakfast food: cake with sugar sauce.
(Also, delicious.)

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

I get that.>> ^ReverendTed:

>> ^brycewi19:
This guy has DOUBLE JOWLS! Both mouth AND nose jowls!
Wasn't this guy Lando's co-pilot?

>> ^dag:
I get that.>> ^ReverendTed:
>> ^brycewi19:
This guy has DOUBLE JOWLS! Both mouth AND nose jowls!
Wasn't this guy Lando's co-pilot?

Have you considered plastic surgery?

'The Century of the Self' is a great documentary series on this topic and is on youtube.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self

"This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy."

It's on the sift as well, if someone would take the time to fix the embed:

http://videosift.com/video/The-Century-of-The-Self-Part-1-of-4

>> ^sepatown:

'The Century of the Self' is a great documentary series on this topic and is on youtube.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self
"This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy."

I'm of the opinion that these methods of massive crowd manipulation are unfortunately a blight on psychologies contribution to humankind & far form beneficial for the advancement of our species as an evolved society.

I do not see much good that has come from Bernays' philosophies and how they have been used to increase the average persons delusion that happiness is brought forth via external material acquisition.

I do instead see a few very wealthy individuals throughout society whom most assuredly endorse and utilize these systems... I wonder if they are truly happy?

I don't usually poke fun at people but I can't tell what's shaking more the camera or him. LOL

What if I said that much of what we consider advanced human society is simply a network of selfish people individually interested in maximizing pleasure and avoiding displeasure?

What if I said that, other than hugely displeasurable experiences (disease, war, famine, etc., all displeasure) there are few other driving factors to advance modern human society outside of selfish desire for more pleasure?

The success of capitalism is the recognition that a society can be built around this with some rules that keep everyone from trampling everyone else.

We exist in a society built upon selfishness, where products beget products in an endless stream. Have you seen the new 'retina display' ipads? And the new Batman movie? And the new coffee brand that the local store is carrying that you heard is good? And the new treatment for that disorder you have? This is the current state of human society. Bernays and others recognized that tweaking things here and there for their own selfish gain was not only successful, but successful beyond their expectations. Bernays and people like him don't see themselves as 'taking advantage of' or 'cheating' others, though they will readily admit that marketing is manipulation.

Many of us look around now and say, 'this marketing and consumerism has gone to far!'. Why? I suggest this is because aggressive, constant barrages of these marketing tactics is leading your typical person to feel displeasure due to constantly being pitched to, and displeasure at recognizing the unending attempts at manipulation. This displeasure is outweighing the pleasure of participating in some areas of our society.

What will this lead to? Maybe a happy medium, maybe a swing the other direction, maybe an incredible swing to a 'matrix'-like dystopia where we are happily asleep in our minds, maximally pleased with the state of things.

>> ^Dread:

I'm of the opinion that these methods of massive crowd manipulation are unfortunately a blight... I do instead see a few very wealthy individuals throughout society whom most assuredly endorse and utilize these systems... I wonder if they are truly happy?