During World War II, the term “brainwashing” was introduced to describe methods employed by one group to force its ideas upon another group. An individual’s previous ideas would be “washed” from his brain and replaced with new ideas and beliefs. The techniques used and the reasons for their use give some insight into the workings of the human brain and how it can not only be “washed” but also be persuaded to adopt viewpoints held by the majority.
Such techniques are also successfully employed by religious institutions. The person most easily brainwashed is the “normal,” average individual. Such a one is already conditioned to accept opinions of others rather than to form strong convictions of his own. On the other hand, those hardest to brainwash are ones with unconventional ideas and strong convictions and who are not afraid of what others think.
Often propaganda is indirect and can cause a change in thinking without one’s being aware of it.
Here are seven steps that can help you to protect yourself.
1. Have strong convictions: As noted above, the person most easily brainwashed is the one quickly swayed by others. Do not go along with an idea just because your associates accept it. Make sure that the views you adopt are truthful.
2. Find the reason: Inadvertently we often accept attitudes without knowing what is behind them. Some people insult those who disagree with them by questioning character or motives instead of focusing on the facts. Name-calling slaps a negative, easy-to-remember label onto a person, a group, or an idea. The name-caller hopes that the label will stick. If people reject the person or the idea on the basis of the negative label instead of weighing the evidence for themselves, the name-caller’s strategy has worked. Some propagandists play on pride. Often we can spot appeals to pride by looking for such key phrases as: “Any intelligent person knows that . . .” or, “A person with your education can’t help but see that . . .” A reverse appeal to pride plays on our fear of seeming stupid. Professionals in persuasion are well aware of that. The propagandist makes sure that his message appears to be the right and moral one and that it gives you a sense of importance and belonging if you follow it. You are one of the smart ones, you are not alone, you are comfortable and secure—so they say.
3. Speak up for what you know to be right: This will give you opportunity to test what you believe and more firmly entrench the truth in your life. If you are convinced of the truth of a matter after thorough research, do not be disconcerted by ridicule from others. Moreover, if we want to be fair-minded, we must be willing to subject our own opinions to continual testing as we take in new information. We must realize that they are, after all, opinions. Their trustworthiness depends on the validity of our facts, on the quality of our reasoning, and on the standards or values that we choose to apply.
It’s healthy to admit you don’t know everything. Life is most enjoyable when it is viewed as a continual progression of gaining greater understanding. But you must be allowed to have your hands on the steering wheel of your own journey. Education shows you how to think. Propaganda tells you what to think. Good educators present all sides of an issue and encourage discussion. Propagandists relentlessly force you to hear their view and discourage discussion. Often their real motives are not apparent. They sift the facts, exploiting the useful ones and concealing the others. They also distort and twist facts, specializing in lies and half-truths. Your emotions, not your logical thinking abilities, are their target.
4. Live the truth: Do not allow yourself to be pressured into compromising what you know to be right. Remember, if something is right and proper, it will work out for your good. Do not be tricked into thinking that you are missing out on something or that you are unduly restricted because you conform to what is right.
5. Put information to the test: If anyone claims to speak for God, ask for proof that they have been inspired. Also, if possible, try to check the track record of those speaking. Are they known to speak the truth? Beware of those with a proven track record of constant adjustments and corrections in doctrine excusing this as human imperfection.
It is said that we are what we eat, and this can apply to food for both the body and the mind. No matter what you are reading or watching or listening to, test to see whether it has propagandistic overtones or is truthful. It is never the proper time for unhealthy mental or spiritual food.
6. Ask questions: As we have seen, there are many today who would like to ‘delude us with persuasive arguments.’ Therefore, when we are presented with persuasive arguments, we should ask questions. Is there bias? What is the motive for the message? Is the message full of name-calling and loaded words? If you sense some appeal to emotions, ask yourself, ‘When viewed dispassionately, what are the merits of the message itself? If “authorities” are used, who or what are they? Why should you regard this person—or organization or publication—as having expert knowledge or trustworthy information on the subject in question? Are they being quoted correctly? Reports that contain half-truths or incomplete information are a real challenge to reaching accurate conclusions. A story that is only 10 percent true is 100 percent misleading.
7. Do not just follow the crowd: If you realize that what everybody thinks is not necessarily correct, you can find the strength to think differently. While it may seem that all others think the same way, does this mean that you should? Popular opinion is not a reliable barometer of truth. Over the centuries all kinds of ideas have been popularly accepted, only to be proved wrong later. Yet, the inclination to go along with the crowd persists.
The Bible clearly warns us not to lean on our own understanding.
The one who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but the one who walks in wisdom will escape.
(Pro 28:26 NET)
However, this does not mean that we should be quick to accept the guidance of another human.
Do not trust in princes, or in human beings, who cannot deliver!
(Psa 146:3 NET)