Can you decide for yourself

[Delano]

This idea or question has been floating around my head. I haven't quite figured how to express it. I think people need to be told what to like. Otherwise why have critics advertising and fashion icons. Or it could be that people just want to feel like the belong to a group or community 

[ProfD]

Freedom of choice is real.  

 

Unfortunately, many people try to validate themselves by social status and/or material possessions  and other things. 

 

Companies go to great lengths in pushing their brand and products. It's all about making money.

 

Strong advertising campaigns and paid models and product placement is enough to convince people they need the *best*.

 

Socially, many will fall into groups that share similar thoughts and beliefs. Religion and politics are two areas that heavily influence group think.

 

Critical thinkers amd strong-willed people march to the beat of their own drum unfazed by the *noise* trying to get them to buy into things and beliefs.

 

[Delano]

8 hours ago, ProfD said:

Freedom of choice is real. 

It's nearly impossible to choose freely with a socialised mind. It's is very difficult to transcend the influence of the group unless you're okay with being ostracized or you're a sociopath.

8 hours ago, ProfD said:

Critical thinkers amd strong-willed people march to the beat of their own drum unfazed by the *noise* trying to get them to buy into things and beliefs

This is very salient. What defines freedom. Would you say most people a

aren't free and why aren't they?

[ProfD]

30 minutes ago, Delano said:

It's nearly impossible to choose freely with a socialised mind. It's is very difficult to transcend the influence of the group unless you're okay with being ostracized or you're a sociopath.

This is very salient. What defines freedom. Would you say most people a

aren't free and why aren't they?

Right.

 

Most people aren't free because they have been indoctrinated into one or more groups whether it's ideological, social, religious, political, etc.

 

A mental soup of that sh8t is a gumbo resulting in sheep and lemmings.

 

Granted, there's nothing inherently wrong with belonging to a group(s) as long as one maintains the ability to think independently.

[aka Contrarian]

Freedom is just an abstract idea. Everybody is captivated by something. As  ProfD implied,  people gravitate toward what inspires the most approval and admiration of their group, and  - imagine that they are making independent choices

-

Yes. there are mavericks and non conformists but they are controlled by the gratification and attention they get from being different.

 

Old age has liberated me to a limited  degree, however,  I don't confotm to the dictates of pace setters any more, I now have s little wiggle room within the constraints

of the eccentricity that dictates my behavior.

 

Freedom can be a burden. Because it's not free

 

Hi Delano. I underwent some weird experiences after I  inadvertently created some portals for the spirit world. Fooling around  with mirrors and crystals !

[Chevdove]

3 hours ago, aka Contrarian said:

Freedom can be a burden. Because it's not free

 

Yes. The freedom to submit to something can be like submitting to something that you know will also bring rebuke upon yourself from somebody, at some point in time make take courage. 

 

But Can You Decide For Yourself?

 

Deciding for yourself to make choices or being afraid to do it for fear of pissing off someone is a crucial notion, imo. 

Sometimes I make contrary choices and just don't give a d*** and suffer the consequences even though I know I'm not going to like being singled out, but yet, I do it anyway. I don't know why though, but I just do it sometimes. 

 

 

[Pioneer1]

Ofcourse people are told what to like, especially women.

I noticed this growing up and studying how males and females relate to eachother.

As men, we generally like who we like and our friends and family have little to no influence over that basic attraction.

It may influence who we BRING AROUND them, but it doesn't influence who we actuallyf fine attractive.

However I noticed that with many if not most females, they could INITIALLY find you attractive but if their family and friends don't accept you or enough peer pressure from their friends encourage them to leave you alone or their friends think you're nerdy, square, weird, or just not cool....then THEY will pull away from you because of their influence.

Some people have a very strong mind not given over to the "mob mentality" or be easily influenced by others.
I'm one of those people.
I've always been the type of person who thought for myself.
However I've noticed that most people to one degree or another are heavily influenced and "trained" in their thoughts by others in society, especially those closest around them.

[Troy]

On 2/17/2024 at 7:27 AM, ProfD said:

Critical thinkers amd strong-willed people march to the beat of their own drum

 

I believe anyone who posts here could be described this way.  Those who seeks validation from social media definitely are not one who marches to their own drum.

 

On 2/17/2024 at 4:21 PM, Delano said:

It's is very difficult to transcend the influence of the group

 

I would say it is impossible, for the reasons @ProfD mentioned and more, so one must choose their poison or live as a hermit.  I avoid social media, but I watch streaming TV where I can exercise more control over what I consume, although YouTube and other platforms has made great strides in pushing videos to you to watch -- even going as far as to automatically paying them.

 

@Delano people can benefit from being told what to consider.  In the world of books, for example, there is just so many being published critics and help identify the ones worth reading.

 

However, today the things that are advertised to us are rarely ever thing the thing we need the most or would best serve us.  This is because feeds, advertising, algorithms are dominated by what generates the most revenue. Where it is an opiods, mentholated cigarettes, poorly made branded clothing, fast food, weight lost and beauty products, whatever...

 

No one is immune. Fashion is probably the best example Del.  In 2024 functional good looking clothing could be easily made to last decades, but there is no money in that. So we have trendy throw-away clothing that keeps us constantly spending. We are sold on this idea of keeping up with fashion trends. But this idea is a purely commercial construct.

 

Indeed, the notion that anything we can purchase that makes us part of a group is simply a function of commerce.  Younger people fall more prey to this, as they have a stronger need to belong.  They are as more easily manipulated into buying into an identity defined by some marketer.

[Delano]

People will reference sources to strengthen their position. I noticed that I was using science to bolster my position without understanding the science. I am no longer in that particular game.

[Troy]

6 hours ago, Delano said:

People will reference sources to strengthen their position.

 

Not if they don't have a position, or are looking to expand what they know.  I'm not saying these people are in the majority, but they exist.  I believe I'm one of these people.

[aka Contrarian]

Change is inevitable and goes hand in hand with freedom. Fads and trends just come natural to a species of sociable beings with imaginations. Like now, beards are  "in" and all the fellas are wearing them. They don't flatter everybody but being able to cultivate one seems to bolister a guy's self esteem.  Boys will be boys...

Clean-shaven dudes , however, can still pull the thick babes with  false  eyelashes and ropes of hair who are currently in vogue, - unless they prefer petite pixie types.

 

No accounting for taste, and individuality ain't completely dead.