I don’t think it’s quite that straight forward. I wouldn’t say that other people make choices for us, but we are also easily manipulated by others, particularly when don’t have any information to confirm/deny the truth and/or being what we’re being told matches up with our feelings/what we want to belief. Our biology compels us to believe what we are told. On top of that, once we’ve established a belief in our minds, we are very resistant to changing that belief. It can cause a lot of stress, forcing us to consider our past and future actions, who we associate with and possibly subject ourselves to shame and ridicule. Even when we are currently being shamed for our believes we are still resistant to change in the face of facts.
So take for example a man following a blue pill life. He’s been told and trained since birth that women are virtuous and that marriage is wonderful. His home life, his parents, his school, his media all present him with this as a given, so he naturally accepts it without question. He has no reason not to. He does hear some ramblings that this dream isn’t true, but considered such a thing is going to cause a lot of harm to him in the short term, so his mind rejects it for his own protection. Then he gets a GF or married and the truth is fully exposed to him. The harm is compounded by the fact that her behavior broke his entire world view. His emotions are in shock, he followed the rules he was instructed to and yet this still happened?
Now he has a chose to evaluate everything he’s been told and accepted, and great stress and cost to him, or try this off as an exception. She was a NAWALT. The exception chose is usually much more appealing, less stressful and allowing him to give the worldview that’s been burned into his brain.
This sort of thing happens with many choices we come across. Republicans are bad. Abortion is good, Religious is evil, Guns are good, there is a rape culture, etc. You can present people with the undeniable facts, and yet they cannot simply except that they’ve been lied to. I’ve recently watch some “Louder with Crowder/Change My Mind” videos and this happens every time. They see the facts and can’t give any valid arguements to support thier position, yet still cannot just accept and need time to adjust. It is in our biology.
This, IMO, why finally accepting a new world view that lines up with what we see can often bring a euphoric feeling. We have been freed from the chains that bound us. It doesn’t matter what it is. Taking the red pill, from a religious standpoint, they call it being born again. It can drive us forward past the complications that are going to occur from changing our views.
So no, I wouldn’t say either of the options are fully accurate. Usually, choices are made based on incomplete information and to avoid stress, becoming difficult to change once set. Usually the people who are manipulating us fully believe their views as well, and partially want us to adopt the view as it gives them more stability and peace in their chose. They are not perpetuating something the know is a lie, but they will defend it as best they can to prevent bring on all the harm that comes with adopting a new world view.
Dark Kenshi 11 months, 2 weeks ago.
