The Power in Propaganda
Whether we recognize it or not, we are exposed to Propaganda daily. Whenever we go to work, school, the store, watch television, or listen to the radio, someone tries to get us to do or believe something we may or may not be comfortable with.
Be Careful of What You Wish For
We joke about used car salespeople and politicians because they will tell us anything, including outright lies, to get our money or vote. After a while, we expect and tolerate it as just part of the experience. It can be costly, but we choose to accept the risk anyway. This is especially true in politics.
The path to Huxley’s Brave New World is alarming, like current social, economic, and political events. Huxley cited Propaganda as a prime mover in social, economic, and political change toward his futuristic view of the world. It moves away from freedom and democracy through a highly controlled, technology-driven society with an authoritarian regime.
While focusing his discussion on the content of Propaganda, he assumed that conventional media would still dominate. He did not envision the creation of the internet, artificial intelligence, smartphones, or social media. He would be shocked at the volume and speed at which Propaganda’s impact can spread today.
Huxley identified two types of Propaganda and distinguished how democratic societies and dictatorships choose to use them given their differing underlying motivations. They are:
Rational Propaganda — “Propaganda in favor of action that is consonant with enlightened self-interest appeals to reason by means of logical arguments based upon the best available evidence fully and honestly set forth.”**
Non-Rational Propaganda — “Propaganda in favor of action dictated by the impulses that are below self-interest offers false, garbled or incomplete evidence, avoids logical argument and seeks to influence its victims by the mere repetition of catchwords, by the furious denunciation of foreign and domestic scapegoats, and by cunningly associating the lowest passions with the highest ideals, so that atrocities come to be perpetuated in the name of God and the most cynical kind of Realpolitik (practical objectives) is treated as a matter of religious principle and patriotic duty.”**
Remember, Huxley wrote this over 60 years ago, incorporating his experiences in Great Britain during the fall of democracy in the 1930s and the rise of the German Third Reich, culminating in WWII. They serve as a warning for us today.
Today’s Environment
Recently, Liz Cheney, a senior Republican in Congress, published a book, Oath and Honor — A Memoir and Warning***. She writes of her personal experiences in the U.S. Congress from President Biden’s Election in November 2020 through December 2022. She spoke of the committees and fellow Republican Congressional members and their attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Some of the things that especially concerned her include:
- The speed and reach of non-rational Propaganda promoting the Trump Agenda and its role in shaping public opinion are surprising. The MAGA catchphrase dominates the media and solidifies the emotional attachment to the masses that are tuned in.
- The willingness of senior Republican members of Congress to buy into and repeat the claims of a stolen election and voter fraud — despite the overwhelming rational Propaganda published in the mainstream press and state and Federal governments are saying otherwise.
- There is a long list of charges brought by the Federal Government against former President Trump and how little impact these activities have on public opinion. Even the condemnation of the Former President’s role in the January 6th riot on Capitol Hill has had little effect on Trump’s popularity in the polls.
Having experienced all of this firsthand, Cheney appears frustrated and saddened by the behavior of many of the Republican members of Congress in choosing to ignore their oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution despite multiple attacks intended to subvert it.
She recognizes the power contained in non-rational Propaganda and its role in shaping public opinion today. It then begs for an answer to the question –
Why do otherwise rational people dismiss rational Propaganda based on reliable facts and circumstances in favor of the more emotional and less factual non-rational political Propaganda currently spreading throughout the country?
We may find the answer in the field of psychology by looking at ways we satisfy our ego. Gregg Henriques****, a professor of psychology, defines “The ego is the part of you that is engaged in self-justification.”
He describes ego as “… it functions to develop explanations for your actions in the context of justification. Said differently, we can see it as the mental organ of justification, and its job is to make sure you are in a justified state of being.”
We accept Propaganda as part of everyone’s mental toolbox to help motivate and justify actions that make us feel good about who we are, regardless of whether it is rational (fact-based) or non-rational (emotion-based) Propaganda. If it fits our beliefs and behaviors and helps justify them, the Propaganda is accepted, regardless of its potential flaws.
For example, one of the biggest questions of our time is — What methods and circumstances allow us to take another person’s life?
The amount of Propaganda surrounding this issue is huge and contains rational and non-rational types for justification. The weight of each kind of Propaganda applied to the argument, pro or con, changes with context.
The arguments surrounding abortion, capital punishment, the military, euthanasia, genocide, immigration, drugs, and local law enforcement all impact the type and weight of Propaganda used to condemn or defend the loss of life under each set of circumstances. Social attitudes towards each of these issues change over time. At some point in our lives, our conscience may call upon us to make choices, and justification of our actions is required. It becomes all too real when we have to live with the outcomes.
A consensus is needed but rarely achieved. A life is a life — or is it?
Decisions are made and actions taken. Often by those not directly involved. The Propaganda’s work is done, and actions taken may not be able to be reversed. Propaganda is a means to achieve a specific outcome. Many may be willing to tolerate known false statements or misapplied logic if they ultimately achieve the desired end goal, as long as the state of their character allows.
Character strength is an essential guardrail in weighing the motivation of those creating Propaganda. They want you to accept their interpretation of facts and circumstances. Are they rational and consistent with your character strengths? Does what they are saying pass your character filter?
Does the propagandist share your core character strengths, such as honesty, judgment, perspective, fairness, equity, and kindness? If not, can they be trusted? Be careful.
Think about your character strengths. They started to crystallize in our minds as kids. As we grow older, some stay the same, and others often change with experience. Do they need a tune-up?
Politically, those who represent you are making big decisions on your behalf. Be sure that you get your money’s worth.
So, remember, be careful what you wish for; in the end, you might not like what you get.
If you like what you’ve read and it got you thinking, send me a clap and let me know. If you want to read more about character development and its role in your well-being, click follow. We can explore it together.
Sources:
[1] *Linden, William. “Climate Isn’t the Only Thing That’s Changing” https://medium.com/@bntlinden98/climate-isnt-the-only-thing-that-s-changing-6ce267dd1028 Accessed 14 Jan. 2024.
[2] **Aldous Huxley and Christopher Hitchens. Brave New World and Brave New World Revisited Notes. 1932. New York [U.A.] Harper Perennial, 2005. Pages 264–265
[3] ***Cheney, Liz. Oath and Honor. Little, Brown, 5 Dec. 2023.
[4] ****Henriques, Gregg. “What Is the Ego? | Psychology Today.” Www.psychologytoday.com, 28 May 2021, https://psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/202105/what-is-the-ego.
