Power over minds

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] I just stumbled across this [URL=http://www.freewayblogger.com/index.htm]site[/URL], and I thought it was pretty interesting. For those of you who don't feel like clicking, it's basically a bunch of pictures of people who have make *freaking* big signs and randomly placed them on highway rails and bridges and such, so that a lot of people can see them. Most of them are political, of course.

So, the main reason of why I'm posting this is whether or not you guys think this stuff actually makes people think. Personally, I think all it does is let the opposers get ticked off and angry, and the supporters happy. So basically, all it does is create more tension.

Which can all boil down to what the title says: Power over minds. What sort of stuff [i]does[/i] make people change their minds about things? Has there ever really been a huge change for you in thinking or a change in your morals/thinking process?

:whoops:

Just thought it'd be nice to create some discussion in here. [/color]

[Pumpkin]

[QUOTE=maladjusted][color=darkslateblue] I just stumbled across this [URL=http://www.freewayblogger.com/index.htm]site[/URL], and I thought it was pretty interesting. For those of you who don't feel like clicking, it's basically a bunch of pictures of people who have make *freaking* big signs and randomly placed them on highway rails and bridges and such, so that a lot of people can see them. Most of them are political, of course.

So, the main reason of why I'm posting this is whether or not you guys think this stuff actually makes people think. Personally, I think all it does is let the opposers get ticked off and angry, and the supporters happy. So basically, all it does is create more tension.

Which can all boil down to what the title says: Power over minds. What sort of stuff [i]does[/i] make people change their minds about things? Has there ever really been a huge change for you in thinking or a change in your morals/thinking process?

:whoops:

Just thought it'd be nice to create some discussion in here. [/color][/QUOTE]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=1]
It would be interesting to read signs along the highway, I mean people will definately read it. More for amusement than to actually think and have their mind changed. People change their minds from events, or actions that happen to you or them. If you do something, it can easily have an affect on a person. I know people have inspired me to do great things because of what I had seen them do. There are lots of ways you can change the way a person thinks, and not by a sign on the highway. Although that is funny, especially when hobos leave their "Why lie I just want a beer" sign's on the side of the road. One guy I saw almost threw a coke can at an anti-war protester, the point is, its what you do, more then what you say. Hope that made some sense at all. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[elfpirate]

[quote name='maladjusted][color=darkslateblue] . What sort of stuff [i]does[/i'] make people change their minds about things? Has there ever really been a huge change for you in thinking or a change in your morals/thinking process? :whoops: [/color][/quote][b]First off, I agree that stunts like that only serve to create more tension, and do not change people's perpectives.[/b]

[b]I think that the only thing that truly changes people's minds is new information that "speaks to the individual" on some level. If you can't relate information to your particular life, the information is useless and ends up having no power over your perspective.[/b]

[b]The only huge change for me in thinking was my shift from a "make love, not war" pacifist mindset to a more realistic: (in my opinion)"there's a time and place for everything, even violence" type of mindset. [/b]

[b]This came about for several reasons- the first being that I realised that the only way out of a violent situation was to employ violence... I used a knife on a guy that was attempting to rape me... it was the first time I had allowed myself to be violent in a situation like that, (or any other situation since gradeschool) and had suffered greatly, in the past, by way of pacifism ...but this time, saved myself with the use of extreme violence.[/b]

[b]This new "violent-when-necessary" mindset was reinforced after I had my son and realised that if anyone ever tried to take him from me or to hurt him, I would feel entirely justified in employing any violence I deemed necessary to prevent it from happening (or to take revenge if I could not prevent it for some reason).[/b]

[b]Other than that, I can't think of any really major changes in my perspective. Lots of smaller changes, but not a whole lot of major ones...[/b]

[kabapu]

[QUOTE=maladjusted][color=darkslateblue] I just stumbled across this [URL=http://www.freewayblogger.com/index.htm]site[/URL], and I thought it was pretty interesting. For those of you who don't feel like clicking, it's basically a bunch of pictures of people who have make *freaking* big signs and randomly placed them on highway rails and bridges and such, so that a lot of people can see them. Most of them are political, of course.

So, the main reason of why I'm posting this is whether or not you guys think this stuff actually makes people think. Personally, I think all it does is let the opposers get ticked off and angry, and the supporters happy. So basically, all it does is create more tension.

Which can all boil down to what the title says: Power over minds. What sort of stuff [i]does[/i] make people change their minds about things? Has there ever really been a huge change for you in thinking or a change in your morals/thinking process?

:whoops:

Just thought it'd be nice to create some discussion in here. [/color][/QUOTE]
Big signs like you mensioned, do nothing but create more tension.

if i see a big sign saying something like "vote labour for the way forward: tony blair means a better tomorrow" it doesn't amke me stop and think "hey, maybe i should vote tony blair", it just pisses me off.

Most of the people i've spoken to on this subject all basically say the same thing. something along the lines of "WWhenever i see an extreme left-wing sign or political editorial, it just pusshes me more and more extreme right wing".

in conclusion i'll say that the opposite of what everyone else is doing seems to have a power over people's minds.

[Morpheus]

[QUOTE=kabapu]Big signs like you mensioned, do nothing but create more tension.

if i see a big sign saying something like "vote labour for the way forward: tony blair means a better tomorrow" it doesn't amke me stop and think "hey, maybe i should vote tony blair", it just pisses me off.

Most of the people i've spoken to on this subject all basically say the same thing. something along the lines of "WWhenever i see an extreme left-wing sign or political editorial, it just pusshes me more and more extreme right wing".

in conclusion i'll say that the opposite of what everyone else is doing seems to have a power over people's minds.[/QUOTE]
I hope that you aren't from england. I live in the States and still know that anyone wanting to vote for Tony Blair will be laughed out of the building. He heads the party in control, so he is prime minister.

Back on topic, that site is actually funny. I'll link it to my own site when it launches.

[kabapu]

[QUOTE=Morpheus]I hope that you aren't from england. I live in the States and still know that anyone wanting to vote for Tony Blair will be laughed out of the building. He heads the party in control, so he is prime minister.

Back on topic, that site is actually funny. I'll link it to my own site when it launches.[/QUOTE]


actually, i AM from england. and i am 100% upposed to tony blair. he may be prime minister, but he's the worst minister that I can remember. the guy's a retarded joke, and lots of people in england don't like him, including me.

[Retribution]

Well, I thought the site was very interesting, and that the signs don't do anything, except create tensions.

I mean, I know that [i]I[/i] smiled and laughed when I read most of those signs like "Osama bin Forgotten" and stuff like that. That's only because I don't like Bush. Of course, I would just shake my fist at the sign if a pro-Bush sign were posted up. It wouldn't make me change my mind.

[TOTALIMMORTAL]

The most effective way to make someone change is by force. Who wouldn't change something about them with a gun to their head?

[John]

[quote name='TOTALIMMORTAL']The most effective way to make someone change is by force. Who wouldn't change something about them with a gun to their head?[/quote]Indeed. Unfortunately, though, that just so happens to be quite punishable by law. (Surprise!) This thread is about the effect of advertising, not death threats, lol.

I think that advertising does have a direct power over some weaker-minded people. However, it can still indirectly affect the decision-making process of an aware person, because advertisements nowadays are directed more towards getting noticed, rather than proving themselves to be better than their competitor. This is because when you see a lot of a product, it makes you think that it's because it's a very popular product. So when you go to the supermarket to pick up detergent, you get Downy instead of Sam's Choice Fluffin' Smells, because hey, more people were probably buying Downy, and that means it's better, right?

Another case would be the iPod. A friend of mine recently wanted to get an mp3 player, and he automatically supposed that he would get an iPod, the very antithesis of cost versus function. This is because he assumed it was the best, since lots of people are buying it.