1032.Many slogans and catchphrases are so general and abstract as to be practically meaningless to critical perception.... if they are taken merely at their face value, they can easily become a substitute for analytical thinking and serious argument, thus preventing meaningful debate. WILLIAM E. TANNER & J. DEAN BISHOP, Rhetoric and Change, 1985.
- Explained: A critical aspect of propaganda is to let the viewer interpret them as they choose to do so. There is a certain thought created when the propaganda is made, but there is no outright covert message. Instead, there are several ways to inspect the information and mold it to your own beliefs. This is why propaganda can be so effective; people have room for personal interpretation. It imposes an argument that you can always find a solution to because you are creating it yourself. For example, take old Russian communism propaganda. They made communism seem appealing and urgent, covertly encouraging people to blindly agree with communism. People could create their own reasons for the decision; communism will save us, communism will protect our country, etc.
1050.The most powerful forms of social control maybe found not in dramatic coercive situations, but in everyday institutions that shape our lives: family, community, school, church. SARAH TRENHOLM, Persuasion and Social Influence, 1989.
1062.A man who wishes to impose his opinions on others is unsure of their value. He has to uphold them by all possible means. He adopts a special tone of voice, thumps the table, smiles on some and browbeats others. In short, he borrows from his body the wherewithal to bolster up his mind. PAUL VALERY (1871-1945), Bad Thoughts and Not So Bad, 1942.
1071.[H]uman beings are extremely sensitive to coincidence. We are fascinated and bewildered by events that come together despite seemingly impossible odds. Their very improbability leads us to search for their deeper significance. STUART A. VYSE, Believing In Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, 1997.
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