Power obtained and preserved: psychology, technology & propaganda

"Nearly all man can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character give him power.”

Quote: Abraham Lincoln 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

Power Phenomena explained

People in general want a peaceful life and struggle enough with daily challenges like relations, work and health. Therefore they are not interested in power. Power is also rarely discussed, because it creates an unpleasant feeling. In addition, with power comes (great) responsibility, people in general shy away for this. People taking power are often psychopaths, who’s intentions and work methods are, due their psychological disorder, unethical.

New technology in the hands of psychopaths lead to state-of-the-art propaganda presented through (social) media platforms. These platforms are driven by Artificial Intelligence designed to keep you hooked and reconfirm your beliefs, so-called echo chambers.

This often has a financial incentive but is also used to influence public opinion for any given topic. As usual it depends on who is in power and wants to gain popular support for a plan or agenda.

Resisting these attempts to control your behaviour and decisions is apparent within yourself. It is your consciousness, your common sense or ability to question.

The other option is psychological enslavement.

Three sides of Psychology related to Power

1.     Power craving people, i.e. people with psychological disorder(s) so-called psychopaths

2.     Afraid people voluntarily handing over their power, not using their consciousness

3.     People with good intentions, influenced by the constant power feeling can gradually change behaviour

1.     Psychopaths taking over

 Institutions or Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) often start with good intentions but also attract people with impure intentions, so-called psychopaths.

This has its foundation in psychology. Once people have power, they cling to it and enough is never enough. This is in fact evolutionary behaviour and the rare exception to the rule (Nelson Mandela) will voluntarily let go of power. Unless people have to be re-elected or are forced to leave their position after a period of time.

2.     Frightened people give away power

Nowadays people give away nearly all power they possess to experts and institutions. health (doctors) tax (accountants), personal development (coaches), safety (police) justice (judges and lawyers). For any question we have, we surf the internet for experts. Instead of using the internet, and potentially AI, to find answers. And how about your common sense … you need an expert to answer this question?

It is easy to give away power and feel safe. But this is a hoax. By giving away your power, people make decisions for you.

Quote: Benjamin Franklin, founding father USA (1705 - 1790)

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

In other words:

"People prefer to be safe than to be free and are willing to give up freedom for safety."

3.     People unconsciously influenced by the power feeling

This is a stark warning to people contributing, with the best intentions, to a better world obtaining a position with power, but gradually changing their behaviour for the worse. 

Sociocognitive research has demonstrated that power affects how people feel, think and act.

New technology enables more power over more people

The rise of your Digital Identity because of new technologies is described in this 2021 article. "Who owns the digital you".

In 2024 more and more people understand the immense consequences for their privacy, freedom of speech and other areas.

The development of digital identity is one aspect of the silent takeover as described in article two.

Paragraph from “Who owns the digital you?”

Advertisement is a vital source of income for many business models and demands your permanent online presence to continuously update your Digital Twin. You, being permanent online is achieved by manipulation. By spreading information causing emotions preferably anger. It also creates an information bubble (echo chamber) by repeatedly showing similar information. This reconfirms your original opinion and finally a refusal to accept other viewpoints. Comparable with brainwashing?

See The Social Dilemma on Netflix.

Conclusion

New technologies reshape society in every way. It creates new power structures and new ways to exercise power. This adds another type of dictatorial governance to the Dunamis’ power model axis, so-called technocracy. It is not about killing people as old dictatorships in the 20th century did but silencing unwanted voices who are a threat to their existing power. 

A technocracy is much more dangerous than 20th century dictatorship given the possibilities to control and even doing so proactively. The biggest danger is its invisibility and the fact that it is new. People do not have a memory about it nor recognise it. This brings us to the topic of propaganda

Recognizing Propaganda

It is also invisible, till you see it. Then you start to protest, when it is too late.

Remember George Orwell - 1984

Even though people have the intention to write the truth, they can make mistakes and are unconsciously always pulling information through a perceptual filter reshaping it as their truth. This also applies to these articles about power, please be critical!

Creating fear is a very useful instrument to convince people handing over power to others pretending they will save them. Fear is created by propaganda. How to recognise propaganda from objective news?

Centre for Critical Thinking – Detect Media bias & propaganda

Page 1 addresses the importance of (actively using) consciousness being the discriminator whether you can detect bias & propaganda or not. PDF limited to pg 9.

Questions from behavioural layers

Being critical draws on the human ability to ask questions. But where do questions derive from? Much depends on your ability to recognize the different layers you react or respond from, causing different behaviour and lead to different questions. Every human is designed this way due to evolution.

Once aware of these behavioural layers, try to be often and longer at your preferred layer, by not reacting but responding, take your time!

This understanding is an essential part of becoming a free and conscious individual.

Grow consciousness to counter propaganda

As our behaviour fluctuates between the evolutionary levels of ape and consciousness we must aim for a more constant state of consciousness.

Become more conscious by wondering, contemplating, questioning and curiosity.

It requires an open mindset towards fixed ideas. You can start with very simple examples at home or within a relation. Try to recognise a pattern. Patterns are often done unconsciously, and as word indicates, you do it all the time.

For example, brewing filter coffee. You throw the filter with the coffee ground in the garbage. But this coffee ground is like fertilizer for plants in the house and your garden. This indicates a small start, you continue to ask questions about work, relationships, living and your future including all the information you received through books, conversations, experiences, movies, podcasts newspapers etc.

A basis for pioneering towards the future, leading your own life or leading as an example for others is described in the book Pionierend Leiderschap.

Currently only in Dutch.

It describes all elements and stages for becoming more conscious, including interviews with pioneers. 

How to move on?

• Retake your power! If developments, private or societal, do not coincide with your principles, start a dialogue by asking questions

• The Dunamis model invites you to research and plot the power structures from your field of expertise

Final word

To live in the luxury of freedom does not come for free, it demands conscious critical thinking and participation.

Fredrik the Frisian

Culture Questioned