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This site also contains adult like humor and ideas that could make you think. Consider yourself warned!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Conditioning Techniques and Widespread Insanity

The first time you put your finger in a quickly rotating metal fan blade will probably also be your last. When you see the blood spurting forth from your digit like a geyser, you will have hopefully learned a lesson. And you will come away with not only a dismembered finger, but an association of the spinning metal fan blade with pain and the loss of something valuable. Like your goddamn finger!

In our everyday world, such learned associations or conditioned responses are realized in countless ways: A driver will brake at a red light in order to avoid injury or a ticket. Somebody eating shrimp and afterwards feel their throat closing up to an allergic reaction to shellfish will likely not eat it again and avoid it, entirely. A friend that steals from you will teach you not to trust that person again. And so on. These types of conditioned responses can only benefit you in the future.

These are normal, natural responses that prove useful in your life. Positive stimuli for your benefit.

And then there are the ones that aren't useful, beneficial, normal or natural. Such as: Phobias, superstitions, blindly following instead of thinking for fear of ridicule or punishment, addictions to drinking, gambling, money or anything self destructive for hollow, temporary contentedness.

People, I've always found, are an odd bunch. Even as a kid, I was an observer of society. The older I become, the more I see the flaws that get in the way of human progress. Often times, I wonder if we are devolving.

From youth to adult, we are conditioned by the commercials we see on TV or rhetoric we read from print or computer to act or feel a certain way. We're duped by ads, politicians, supervisors, friends, family and more. Conditioning techniques come in the forms of rewards and punishments. Do and act correctly, according to society as a whole and you may receive an award. If you refrain from doing what is expected or required- punishment may be inflicted in verbal or physical form.

There are only a few things that people are capable of that I can think of that are clearly acts that require punishment. Murder of an innocent human is one. Rape is another. Stealing, yet another. Telling someone a lie, in order that they do your bidding, is a good example, too. I'm sure there are more but I could be typing all night long. And that's not going to happen.

What frustrates me is the fact that people are not aware of these techniques that are used to ingrain these negative notions inside their minds. At least, that's the evidence that seems to be flaunted by most everyone. All they know is what they're told.

Religions, companies and governments are grand manipulators. Weapons they use that dig into your mind for their benefit the most? Words that instill fear so you do their bidding. Think about that, unless you haven't already.

It seems as years go by, while casually observing the public, friends, family and myself, of course, the will to think for oneself in this society has become disrupted and even corrupted. Has it always been this way with the human species? To think or act this way or else?

To be made a slave by any organized mass is the truest shame one can take on. When I see everyone in our society thinking and acting as expected or planned, it causes me to believe that we are not unwilling victims of widespread insanity but that we actually invite it, welcome it and wrap it around ourselves as if it were a warm, comfortable security blanket.

14 comments:

Gorilla Bananas said...

A fellow called Eric Hoffer once explained the attraction of mass movements, but I sense the subtext of this post is that oral sex should be legal and free of shame. That's fine by me as long as you don't demand it from people like that ass Mel Gibson.

Gucci Mama said...

I forgot my brilliant insight after that gem from Gorilla. I heart you, Gorilla Bananas.

Yarnlady said...

I think Gucci Mama is stalking GB!!

anywhoooo

I think society does invite "big brother" to tell them what, when, where and how much.....the government has made it so much easier to NOT think for yourself and most 'buy' into it.
We ask for it in schools for our children.... read Language Police by Diane Ravitch
We medicate kids when they don't fit into that little round hole eg ADHD/ADD...maybe,just maybe....we need them not to be labeled and medicated...maybe we just need to understand. A book called The Edison Gene speaks of these children as being hunters...and others as being planters/farmers. We need both in order to survive in this society....but government and big brother would have us believe differently.

OH LAWDY...don't get me started. I'm a BIG conspiracy theorist.

The Wolf said...

Kelly we totally do and have since Ughh gathered all the other cavemen around and grunted orders. I agree many to some degree like living this way. The army was all about this only much more in you're face about it. We were told from day one what would happen, when and how and we really didn't have much room for anything else other then leave. But even though that was the case many including myself welcomed it, becuase it felt safe, but more importatnly I felt I had a place.

Sure I was just a serial number in a uniform and I totally knew that, but there is something appealing about being able to just let you're mind go numb and go on autopilot.

I guess my point is to some degree we all know this is how things are working and most are comfortable with that becuase many of us just don't want to think for ourselves.

Sir Tom Eagerly said...

Hello Kelly old thing! This is the second post in a row where you have mentioned spurting. Just thought I'd point that out - no reason really.
I see Kelly, that you are referring to the theory of the pyschologist B.F. Skinner that is based upon the idea that learning is a function of change in overt behavior. Changes in behavior are the result of an individual's response to events (stimuli) that occur in the environment.
When a particular Stimulus-Response (S-R) pattern is reinforced (rewarded), the individual is conditioned to respond.
Blimey! I must be sobering up; this cannot be allowed to go on.

Kelly said...

Gorilla Bananas- Yeah, that must be the point of this post... 'oral sex should be free of shame'. lol.

Kelly said...

Gucci Mama- I'm sure it was brilliant. Too bad you couldn't think of it. Better luck next time.

Kelly said...

MarytrMom- Agreed. Most do 'buy' into it, both with their money and and their minds. Just because it is easier to follow blindly, doesn't mean one should do it. And I don't understand the kind of (un)thinking that goes into knowing that something is questionable and/or wrong and just going with it, anyway.

Whatever happened to thinking for yourself, people? Questioning authority? The hippies from the sixties had it right when they used the motto, QUESTION AUTHORITY back then. Now we act as if we don't give a good fuck. and we're paying the price, increasingly, with that kind of thinking every day.

Oh hell... You and I could talk about this all damn day, I bet.

Kelly said...

The Wolf- Yeah, we all see to be perfectly content with the monkey see-monkey do type of rationale. That's sad. I suspect some realize and some don't but the ones who do realize it and go along with it anyway, sicken me the most. I can understand your situation in the army. Take care.

Kelly said...

Sir Tom Eagerly- Yes, I like the word and I like to spurt. Not blood, mind you, but that sticky stuff that comes from the head of my meat log.

Yeah, I've read that before, what you said. It makes sense. One can look around and see it in action in every day life. Individuals respond to changes to their environment and their environment is usually created by those people who have an effect on them. A vicious circle.

You must be sobering up! You're making too much sense.

klahanie said...

Hi Kelly,
The word verification and I kid you not, for me to publish my comment is,'prick'. Is blogger trying to tell me something? :-)
Well, I see somebody else has beaten me to the 'Big Brother' analogy.
There's an awful lot of manipulation out there, subtle and not so subtle.
To many rats in the rat race acting like zombie sheep. Well screw that shit. I'm a firm believer in embracing positivity and the negative hype that bombards our senses can go take a flying fucking leap. I try my very best to avoid the conformity of an insidious world. Then again, maybe some subliminal message has made me type this out. Hell man.
Take care and stay positive.
With respect and behave yourself, Gary:-)

Kelly said...

klahanie- I believe that about the word verification. I was given the word "fucker" to type in the box last night. Blogger is definitely trying to tell me something!

I'm with you on being a nonconformist when it is possible. Actually, I don't have to put much effort into it since I've always been that way, naturally. And like you said, there are... "Too many rats in the rat race acting like zombie sheep". The ones who realize that they're acting like that and are fine with it are the fuckers that piss me off the most.

I'm a firm believer in trying to stay positive in the face of negativity- negativity that comes mainly from other people. Sometimes, I'm successful in that endeavor. Sometimes not. It depends on what's happening in the world, both personally and on a more widespread level, that day.

Have yourself a sun-shiny day, my friend and I'll try to do the same. And I'll try to behave myself, too. Take care.

LilPixi said...

"Often times, I wonder if we are devolving." Amen brotha!!
I chalk a lot up to Astrology (& technology), but some think I'm insane for that.

Conformists make me sad. =( Excellent, excellent post!!

Kelly said...

liliPixi- Conformists make me sad and mad. I'd like to round 'em all up and throw them down an active volcano but that would leave only a couple people left on this rock we call Earth.

Thanks for the compliment... And don't forget to pick up your award.

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