Hi Billy, As much as I despise philosophy, I would think this is better titled "The dangers of self-centeredness."
The Bible was warning about the love of money a couple thousand years ago, so this isn't exactly a new problem… -- Ernie P. On Jan 10, 2013, at 4:08 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > > > > Natural News . com > How modern philosophy is killing you > > Friday, April 20, 2012 by: Mike Bundrant > > > > > . > > (NaturalNews) Sigmund Freud's American nephew, Edward Bernays (1891-1995), > was the first person to take his uncle's ideas and use them to manipulate the > masses. Beginning in the early 20th century, through a new method he called > public relations, Bernays ushered in the age of American consumerism by > showing the government and large corporations how to convince people to want > things they didn't need. This was accomplished by linking mass-produced > goods, services and political ideas to people's unconscious and self-centered > desires. > > Out of Bernays' efforts would come a modern method of controlling the masses. > By satisfying inner, selfish desires, one made people "happy" and thus > docile. It was the beginning of America's all-consuming obsession with self, > an obsession that has come to dominate every aspect of Western culture, > including the philosophies we now use to improve our lives. > > Cultural self-centeredness was CREATED on purpose to serve political and > financial interests > > If you keep the masses preoccupied with themselves, happily consuming the > goods and services they have been conditioned to believe they need, those in > power may profit handsomely and exercise control according to their desires. > > There are those who believe that if this is true, it is nonetheless harmless. > The problem is that the agenda of the power structure is far from harmless. > It has altered the very meaning of life for millions of people and weakened > the foundation of the communities and countries in which people live. Again, > this was done intentionally. > > We must shift America from a "needs" to a "desires" culture. People must be > trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old have been entirely > consumed. Man's desires must overshadow his needs. > -Paul Mazer of Lehman Brothers circa 1930's > > Birth of the American consumer (and death of the American citizen) > > Prior to this massive cultural intervention, there was no American consumer. > There were American citizens. There were American workers. There were no > consumers. Consumerism was invented by the power structure. The people fell > for it hook, line and sinker. Ironically, the typical American consumer is > not a happy person. > > Bernays and company employed never-before-used tactics to associate consumer > products and political propaganda to feelings of self-importance, success, > wealth and credibility. The unconscious message was clear: use these > products, support this cause and you will be successful, important and happy. > > In fact, the masses were often called "happiness machines." Keep rewarding > the happiness machines with more products and services that stoke their > self-centered desires and, soon enough, that is all the happiness machines > will want. > > Techniques used to convince persuade the masses to believe propaganda and > purchase unnecessary products involved: > > • Inventing the press release to inform news agencies of corporate > developments and new products as if they were newsworthy. > > • Using models, socialites and celebrities to endorse products, conveying to > the masses that they can also be popular, important, sexually powerful and > successful if they purchase. > > • Inventing third party endorsements (often from fabricated entities) to lend > credibility to a product or political campaign. > > Of course, these tactics are common today, standards in mainstream marketing > and public relations. They are part of a classic approach to manufacturing > desire and demand for products and services, all in the name of personal > happiness. In other words happiness and success in life equals the purchasing > products and services. > > Self-improvement philosophy and new age teaching is stained with > self-obsession > > Not surprisingly, self-obsession has infiltrated (or perhaps even created) > the field of self-improvement. Teachers and gurus have invented modern > philosophies and distorted ancient ones in order to accommodate the all > consuming self. For example: > > If you have ever dreamed of a better life, Unlimited Power will show you how > to use the power of the mind to do, have, achieve, and create anything you > want. > - Describing Tony Robbins' Unlimited Power > > As you soon as you lock your intention upon that, bang! You've got a > Mercedes. And that's how it works. > -James Arthur Ray (actual words from a recorded live workshop) > > The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves. > Bob Proctor > > If you can envision it, you can have it! > Law of Attraction quote > > Beyond being painfully untrue and misleading, the above quotes reflect the > cultural self-obsession as set in motion by Bernays and company. Every quote > above reflects self-centered desires, childish wishes and a lust for "more" > that is perfectly aligned with the tenets of modern culture - happiness > machines seeking self-centered satisfaction. We want to be unlimited, > unstoppable, success-bound, wealthy and popular. And we want it now! > > Steeped in pop philosophies, we don't want to hear the truth: > > • You can't have anything you want and you will not achieve everything you > intend. You can have many things and achieve many things, if you are willing > to work hard and make sacrifices. > > • You have limitations, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Only you > can learn where those limitations are. Only you can accept them. When you do, > you will free yourself from the expectation that you should be doing more > than you are capable of doing. > > • Wishing for something does not make it so. Wanting something doesn't bring > it into reality. Focusing your intention does not manifest anything other > than focused attention. > > • Suffering is unavoidable and a good thing to learn to do well. > > How modern philosophy is killing you > > The philosophy that created self-centered happiness machines and destroyed > the identity of the individual as "citizen" or "worker" has also killed off > more character-driven principles of an earlier time, as reflected in the > following quotes: > > I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider > the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. > -George Washington > > What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in > his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of > virtuous actions. > -Aristotle > > > Action is character. > > -F. Scott Fitzgerald > > By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the > ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will > return. > -Genesis 3:19 > > If you can help it, don't allow your deeper character to die a slow death, > turning you into a shallow, self-centered happiness machine. The choice to > become a person of character, one who does not need to make up fancy ideas to > avoid reality, is yours. Character development (growing up) is a lot work, > however, but it does turn into actual happiness in somewhere along the way. > > To read about some of the lies the personal development industry has created > in order to delude the happiness machines, see this article. > . > . > . > > About the author: > Get the free mini-course taken by more than 15,000 people, Three Soul > Stirring Questions That Reveal your Deepest Goals. > > For a free, 30-minute strategy session with Mike Bundrant to discuss how this > article applies to you, and to learn about life coaching or NLP training, > please visit this page at the iNLP Center school of personal development. > > Mike Bundrant is the host of Mental Health Exposed, a Natural News Radio > program. > > > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community > <[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
