1. Standard memberthesonofsaul
    King of the Ashes
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    16 Oct '06 05:38
    I saw this word in a different thread and it piqued my interest. Is forced instruction brainwashing only if it runs counter to the dominant culture? Or is the dominant culture a form a brainwashing as well? If the latter is true, is it possible to avoid being brainwashed into believing that some opinion or another is a natural truth? If we have been brainwashed, how can we tell the difference?
  2. Cape Town
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    16 Oct '06 07:01
    Originally posted by thesonofsaul
    I saw this word in a different thread and it piqued my interest. Is forced instruction brainwashing only if it runs counter to the dominant culture? Or is the dominant culture a form a brainwashing as well? If the latter is true, is it possible to avoid being brainwashed into believing that some opinion or another is a natural truth? If we have been brainwashed, how can we tell the difference?
    When your personal observation of the world and your deductions based on that run counter to your beliefs and yet you stick to your beliefs and deny the evidence then you know you have been brainwashed.
    However brainwashing is rarely forced. It is often a choice and occasionally an intentional deception.
    Many people believe they are happier in the brainwashed state.
  3. Unknown Territories
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    16 Oct '06 07:09
    Originally posted by twhitehead
    When your personal observation of the world and your deductions based on that run counter to your beliefs and yet you stick to your beliefs and deny the evidence then you know you have been brainwashed.
    However brainwashing is rarely forced. It is often a choice and occasionally an intentional deception.
    Many people believe they are happier in the brainwashed state.
    Well, with that definition, you can add Einstein to the list of brainwashed folk.
  4. Standard memberthesonofsaul
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    16 Oct '06 21:14
    Originally posted by FreakyKBH
    Well, with that definition, you can add Einstein to the list of brainwashed folk.
    My question would be: is there anyone not on that list? How do you really know you aren't? If you are brainwashed, do you know you are running counter to the goals of society, and deliberately run counter to them? I would think that you would believe that you are doing the best for society without any need to explain.
  5. Joined
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    17 Oct '06 03:13
    Originally posted by thesonofsaul
    My question would be: is there anyone not on that list? How do you really know you aren't? If you are brainwashed, do you know you are running counter to the goals of society, and deliberately run counter to them? I would think that you would believe that you are doing the best for society without any need to explain.
    My question is, is brainwashing ALWAYS synonymous with untruth? Could one be brainwashed with the truth?
  6. Standard memberthesonofsaul
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    17 Oct '06 22:15
    Originally posted by whodey
    My question is, is brainwashing ALWAYS synonymous with untruth? Could one be brainwashed with the truth?
    Yet another good question. However, I doubt any of the people here will even try to address this topic. Why? Because they are all brainwashed. Every one of them has something they automatically accept (or reject) without question.
  7. Joined
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    17 Oct '06 22:20
    Originally posted by thesonofsaul
    Yet another good question. However, I doubt any of the people here will even try to address this topic. Why? Because they are all brainwashed. Every one of them has something they automatically accept (or reject) without question.
    It is an illustration of the power of belief.
  8. London
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    18 Oct '06 14:57
    Originally posted by thesonofsaul
    I saw this word in a different thread and it piqued my interest. Is forced instruction brainwashing only if it runs counter to the dominant culture? Or is the dominant culture a form a brainwashing as well? If the latter is true, is it possible to avoid being brainwashed into believing that some opinion or another is a natural truth? If we have been brainwashed, how can we tell the difference?
    I've posted this elsewhere:

    brainwashing:

    1. a method for systematically changing attitudes or altering beliefs, originated in totalitarian countries, esp. through the use of torture, drugs, or psychological-stress techniques.
    2. any method of controlled systematic indoctrination, esp. one based on repetition or confusion: brainwashing by TV commercials.
    3. an instance of subjecting or being subjected to such techniques: efforts to halt the brainwashing of captive audiences.

    Also, brain-washing, brain washing.


    [Origin: 1945–50; brain + washing]


    indoctrination:

    1. to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view.
    2. to teach or inculcate.
    3. to imbue with learning.

    [Origin: 1620–30; in-2 + ML doctrīnātus ptp. of doctrīnāre to teach; see doctrine, -ate1]

    Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
    Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.



    ----

    Certainly every society tries to brainwash its citizens into accepting its values (e.g. in schools, through the legal system etc.). There's no way to avoid it and, quite frankly, no need to in a good number of cases.
  9. Australia
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    25 Oct '06 02:22
    Originally posted by thesonofsaul
    Yet another good question. However, I doubt any of the people here will even try to address this topic. Why? Because they are all brainwashed. Every one of them has something they automatically accept (or reject) without question.
    I'm certainly not brainwashed, never have been never will be........ thats all saved for religious folk who dont know they are really alive.
  10. Standard memberamannion
    Andrew Mannion
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    25 Oct '06 04:08
    Originally posted by thesonofsaul
    Yet another good question. However, I doubt any of the people here will even try to address this topic. Why? Because they are all brainwashed. Every one of them has something they automatically accept (or reject) without question.
    That's true of everyone of course.
    How could it not be.
    We can't live our normal mundane lives without accepting some (probably many) things without question.
    The trick is to learn what things to question and how to go about doing that.

    As for your brainwashing point - I suspect it's all in the connotations we give to the word. Brainwashing is used exclusively as a negative term - so brainwashing someone with the truth (whatever that truth might be) doesn't really make any sense if we take this negative connotation.
  11. Sydney
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    27 Oct '06 17:39
    Put simply, I understand that one is brainwashed when he/she unconsciously resigns his/her will and freedom of thought to others.

    To demonstrate, I'll show you a magic trick. Ready?

    1. Pick a religion--any religion.
    2. Find the most zealous of religious FOLLOWERS (not leaders--they're the smart ones who do the brainwashing).

    D'you notice how everything they do is dictacted (to the letter) by their leader? Note how voluntarily they surrender themselves to the wills of their masters. (Islam extremists donate their lives; contemporary Christians donate their wallets)

    As to whether or not they are happy, the fact that the meaning of life is laid out for them means that the brainwashed have no reason to make decisions for themselves, ever. Your average thinker, on the other hand, spends most of their time contemplating and searching for their own conclusions on existence.

    This thinking is making me thirsty.
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