"Clear your mind must be if the villains you want to see..."

It is hardly necessary to convince someone that our civilization is in the stage of a powerful technological breakthrough (about the dangers, challenges, and ways of our influence on it, I wrote in the previous article “To be or to be not, that the question is”, of which this article is a kind of continuation). But this breakthrough, besides the evident advantages and achievements, bears obvious (sometimes terrifying) risks for the whole of mankind.

And one of these risks is MANIPULATION.

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• Attention! This material is not intended for entertainment. My goal in writing articles is one — stimulate your mind to think, and to aware of the importance and necessity of personal development. The importance of leaving the comfort zone (whatever it may be) to take part in creating a better world, maintaining and developing the highest achievements of humanity — the fate of the world depends on each of us.

“There is one — then, millions will be!”

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Lies and manipulations can be of different types — from innocent to catastrophic, aimed at individuals or whole nations, they can be primitive and frank, or can be a masterpiece and indistinguishable from the truth. They can come from long-spoiled and smelly characters, or from absolutely decent and trusted people who can participate in the distribution of manipulative information quite by accident. And although we all resort to manipulation throughout our lives (since this, apparently, is a natural part of our existence. Moreover, those who have pets are well-aware that not only people can manipulate :-)), the difference, obviously, lies in the goals, scope, and benefits. It is these criteria that make from a survival tool familiar to us from childhood a deadly weapon of mass destruction.

• In this article I freely use the terms — manipulation, propaganda, lie, deception, generalize them, emphasizing their negative orientation and implying the existence of a connection, which is fully consistent with the purpose of this article. However, it is clear that there is no equality between them and one is not necessarily a sign of the other — for example, manipulation and propaganda are not always based on lies or deception, and the most dangerous and effective is the manipulation of real facts. Lies or deceptions are not necessarily used for the purpose of manipulation or propaganda. In addition, manipulation and especially propaganda can also be used for good purposes, although, in my opinion, even good goals cannot justify the use of such tools.

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Regardless of the level of development and preparation, we are all subject to manipulation to one degree or another. Sometimes these manipulations can be innocent in nature, as is the case in, say, trade (although, surely, many people disagree with this) or have a completely destructive effect on the psyche, as it happens in political information wars.

“How often at this world with other’s eyes do you look?”

However, it should be noted that any deception, any distortion of reality, a big or a small lie, is, after all, self-deception, since no one is able “to force us, to something or someone to believe”. We ourselves decide to perceive something as trustworthy or someone as a person endowed with virtues.

But, wait, does this decision (as, in general, others) we make consciously, taking into account all the details and circumstances, realizing the possible consequences? No, this is what we do quite rarely, and in most situations, our decision is quick (even instant), despite the complexity and ambiguity of the choice.

So, what compels us to make this, often completely ridiculous choice, which, among other things, may pose a threat to ourselves?

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Our life is an endless stream of events that require analysis and decision-making (even if it seems that nothing happens to us and around us). We make a choice and often make mistakes — this is the way of development, error-consequence-analysis-conclusion. But, though the choice, the solution (self-deception, of course, also) sounds like something simple, completely located in our control zone, in fact, everything is much more complicated.

Here we should note two (at a minimum) main factors:

1. We have to deal with a huge amount of information, which our brain is either unable to process in full or does it with difficulty (since our functioning requires the constant expenditure of energy and resources, and our autonomy also requires saving them. The exchange and saving of internal resources and energy is, in general, probably the main principle of the existence of all living beings).

2. People are social animals and socialness, among other things, allows us to reduce our personal energy costs at the expense of behavioral patterns typical of part or all society.

In other words, in more or less standard situations, we intuitively (and maybe completely unconsciously) try to follow certain patterns of behavior that have come to us through gene memory or through the accumulation of life experience, through personal experiences and through observation of the actions of others.

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It is likely that there is a certain “manager” in our brain (and maybe not just one) which determines the most optimal (in terms of energy and resources) response of our body to the totality of the circumstances. This manager dramatically (although we are hardly aware of this) affects our whole life, current and future events — by generating desire and reluctance, doubt and confidence, laziness, procrastination or hyperactivity. The less developed we are in the physiological and mental terms, the less we can influence the decision of this manager, and therefore less able to control our lives.

• The concept of such a manager without any doubt cannot be described in a couple of words and requires a separate, extended description, what I will try to implement in the future.

Such a mechanism allows us to use “automation systems” and reduce the conscious interaction with the outside world and “our participation in our life” to the inevitable.

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But let us dwell on automation systems — for example, the identification system “friend(or own)/foe(or alien)”. Apparently, one of the most ancient and most reliable of these systems, evolved from a primitive (and yet relevant today) identification by a generic or territorial basis, to identification by value criteria (moral and ethical). We unconsciously endow the friend with the best qualities inherent (really or hypothetically) to ourselves, the foe — with all the sins and shortcomings that arise from our own fears and complexes. We are ready to forgive friends obvious shortcomings and even serious sins, as if we concern to ourselves, all the qualities of foes hypertrophied in a negative light.

Simplify, a “friend” is a little (or a lot :-)) us by ourselves, a one enjoyed to our full or partial trust, and a “foe” is a reflection of all of our fears, offenses, and complexes, to which we will be suspicious.

So, what will happen if someone at the level of friend/foe’s social automation system is perceived as a friend will inspire ideas to us, let’s say, different from the relevant circumstances?

The answer is simple — most of us will accept such “information” with confidence, especially if such manipulation does not come into clear conflict with our worldview (although we know examples when even outright lies could not shake the level of trust in the source).

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Probably, it is possible to speak not only about the personified friend/foe’s system but also about the whole paradigm of life values characteristic of certain groups of society, allowing us to “automate” our whole life.

In this paradigm, one more system should be noted (its socialness is less obvious, however, it probably also exists) — the system of “affirmation/denial”. It is a system for evaluating past, present, and perceived facts, circumstances, and beliefs. Within the framework of such a system, it is much easier for us (and less costly in terms of our internal resources and energy) to confirm our beliefs and assumptions that have been established than to critically comprehend or reject them — we live with a set of such criteria established during our life and their adjustment, revision or denial definitely means the need to increase the energy and resources of our body, which is hardly advisable from the “point of view” of our internal manager. This is probably why many of us have so strong resistance to the new and a desire to preserve the existing.

• It is obvious that the criteria described above are not exhaustive, and there are many more such automation systems in our bodies. However, the main task for me is to describe the general principles of this mechanism, which contributes to the fact that we fall into the trap of self-deception.

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Thus, the main purpose of manipulations and manipulators (consciously or not) is to use these systems in such a way that the object of manipulation experiences minimal discomfort during the manipulation process. So, that the proposed “information” harmonizes or does not explicitly contrast with the established convictions of the object (discomfort or rejection can be a danger signal for our manager and a trigger for the starting of resistance). Or if it is necessary to make serious changes in such beliefs, use the “bomb” in the person of the absolute authoritative friend.

In this case, a phenomenon may occur that is very difficult to realize even to a sane person — if such an authority precisely fits into the image of a friend, if he or she emphasizes topics significant to the object of manipulation, if one’s appearance is frequent and each of them is accompanied by some memorable event, if one’s ideas are simple and understandable to those who are targeted for manipulation, if the proposed solutions look fast, cardinal and effective (regardless of reality), if he or she looks like a “pack leader” (what is often just a properly played role) and has real or hypothetical power, etc., then arise something akin to mass insanity — for a period a large part of society begins to perceive such authority as a kind of ideal, infallible image, “living saint”, “god in the physical body”, an image that is not able to denigrate not only supposed but even real negative facts.

Such were the historical characters of the recent past (Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini), such are some modern personalities, both in the East and in the West, whose names you know very well.

• In general, playing to the audience — enhanced expression, increased articulation, emphasis on charisma, posturing, or other signs of “acting”, are quite obvious markers of manipulation.

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A little deeper into how our body responds to the manipulation:

Manipulations can work at the level of emotions and feelings — in this case, in addition to obvious emotional responses to external stimuli (and this, depending on the goals of manipulation, is an emotional response that has a positive or negative hue — aggression, frustration, fear, satisfaction, involvement in something important, patriotism, etc.) are likely to include mirror neurons, which most living beings seem to have since mirror neurons are a very powerful tool for creating and maintaining social connections (such neurons make us empaths, make us experience feelings similar to those of observed objects). Difficult to say whether only mirror neurons make us a part of society or other elements are involved in this process — it is important such a mechanism exists, and it works mainly outside our awareness.

• We are able to establish an emotional connection even with inanimate objects, not to mention living beings of any kind :-)

Or. If your mind prevails over feelings (yes, yes, this is even when you have developed critical thinking), logic can be included as a manipulative technique - our mind operates on logical patterns and if we encounter a manipulation based on common sense, the mind tries to reconcile it with our worldview, probably even by formalizing or ignoring some contradictory (and possibly important) details. It is also known that in the event of the lack of some parts of the information picture, the brain can "complete" them, guided by already existing data (perhaps this is the explanation of such a phenomenon as "deja vu").

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It is obvious that most of the manipulations, propaganda, and professional lies are aimed at the emotional sphere, because (as I noted earlier) a significant part of any society is inert, absorbed in their interests, focused on the general opinion of the authentic environment, people. Those for whom the emotional sphere means much more than the intellectual component of being. And it is precisely this part of the population that is the main "clients" of manipulators - it easy mentally to disorient, which will lead to an increased influence of emotions. In addition, the emotion (or feeling) is a much more powerful, crude, and bright "tool" than any thought, it is much more difficult to realize and much more difficult to manage.

On the other hand, logical-based manipulations are more sophisticated and subtle. Skillfully created such a manipulation is able to trap intellectuals too.

"If an emotion a hammer is, then a thought a lightsaber is!"

Of course, emotions and thoughts are interconnected, one is often the result (or cause) of the other, so we can talk about the complex nature of any manipulation, which, accordingly, complicates the fight against it.

• Most likely, none of the systems in our body is completely autonomous - a joint reaction, feedback, maintaining the necessary metabolic regimen - we respond to any stimulus in a complex way, with the whole body. So, all in all -

"Darth Sidious in the details is…"

As a counteraction to such manipulations, we may well use opposing evaluation systems, in other words - if the information is based on emotions, it should be analyzed by reason, but if the information is based on logical representation, it is necessary to "involve" feeling in its assessment.

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But the greatest danger, no doubt, is manipulation, based on both emotions and logical schemes.

• It should be noted that right now we are at the peak (although who knows, maybe the top is still very far away) of the development of mechanisms for manipulating public opinion - technologies allow us to expand our world, but at the same time become guides and tools for all sorts of scammers and scoundrels.
• And if you think that someone cannot be so immoral as to "sell" a blatant, cynical and shameless lie, a lie that can harm a huge number of people and even lead to victims - you are deeply mistaken. Those who easily resolve moral dilemmas (and in reality simply do not have them) are many in any countries, with any type of power, from democracies to dictatorships, especially many of them in politics since it is politicians (and associated business structures) receive maximum dividends from manipulation of public opinion.

It is extremely difficult to fight with such manipulations (art, of its kind).

And in general, to understand what you are being manipulated, to determine how this is done, what consequences it may have - all these tasks are quite complex. The mechanisms mentioned above allow us to make decisions in a matter of seconds, without involving or limiting the participation of the mind in these processes by superficial assessment - we begin to seriously and very carefully evaluate actions or information only if they invade our internal space since such an invasion is probably perceived by our manager as a danger to existence (although for some even such an "invasion" remains unnoticed).

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So, how do we resist manipulation, and ultimately, self-deception?

The answer to this question is likely to be that - since manipulations can take completely different forms, have a variety of goals and content, use different (sometimes extremely sophisticated) techniques that make our drawbacks and advantages work against us, we can hardly count on the simple and universal solution to this problem.

Rather, a universal solution exists, but it is hardly easy - it is personal development.

Only constant, versatile (since intellectual development in itself is not a guarantee against manipulation - people with an excellent education can have huge gaps in other aspects of development and often fall victim to the most primitive manipulations) personal development can change our interaction with the outside world, only it can increase our influence on the internal manager, and change the quality of the assessment of events and information, only it can protect us from the self-deception trap in which the most skilled, and not so, manipulators are trying (and will continue to) to drag us - the more qualitatively our development, the better our control over the mind, brain and body as a whole, the better our ability to be objective, which will allow us to more correctly evaluate the information we receive and circumstances, and to make more correct decisions in response to them (and remember, only awareness and repetition allow us to fully master the skills and knowledge).

• I want you to think about one thing - it is difficult to deceive or manipulate a person in matters, in which he or she is a professional or simply well-versed. It is impossible to be a professional in everything, but curiosity, observation, and the desire to look for a causal relationship in everything can create a high-quality critical thinking mechanism that will reveal and resist lies and manipulations of any level.

"The path this is, that only your feet can pass through!"

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At the core of countering to manipulations of any kind should be the ability and readiness for critical evaluation of information and, of course, the accumulation of a kind of data bank and criteria based on it. That is, we must become fully anti-manipulation professionals.

We must be attentive to absolutely any information, even from the most trusted over time sources, even from close friends who can unwittingly become participants in deception.

However, this approach absolutely should not mean paranoia and suspicion in everything. Rather, everything (and not only information) should be treated with healthy skepticism and irony, and above all, self-irony, since irony is excellent safeguards against subjectivity and bias.

"The world is for you the way you imagine it!"

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• This article is the result of my deeply subjective reflections, observations of the surrounding and my inner world, the attempts to establish simple causal relationships and create an understandable model of the world. Some ideas are confirmed by scientific research or correlate with them, some, I hope, will either be confirmed or disproved in the near future. Your right to accept these ideas and draw your own conclusions, or completely ignore them and go your own way.

"May the force be with you!"