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originally posted by: neo96
a reply to: zosimov
What incites a mob to violence (in particular the most gruesome/horrific lynching type)?
Already preconceived bias's.
Just looking for any excuse.
Which doesn't take much to begin with.
Our sensitivity to crowds operates in a remarkably swift and automatic way
In fact, recent studies suggest that our sensitivity to crowds is built into our perceptual
system and operates in a remarkably swift and automatic way. In a 2012 paper in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, A.C. Gallup, then at Princeton
University, and colleagues looked at the crowds that gather in shopping centers and
train stations.
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In one study, a few ringers simply joined the crowd and stared up at a spot in the sky
for 60 seconds. Then the researchers recorded and analyzed the movements of the
people around them. The scientists found that within seconds hundreds of people
coordinated their attention in a highly systematic way. People consistently stopped to
look toward exactly the same spot as the ringers.
The number of ringers ranged from one to 15. People turn out to be very sensitive to
how many other people are looking at something, as well as to where they look.
Individuals were much more likely to follow the gaze of several people than just a few,
so there was a cascade of looking as more people joined in.
Human studies show we can be incited to flash violence even peaceable people can. Look up Crowd psychology. Many studies have been done.
Rational thought tells a person it's against the law to hurt someone else.
You can't make someone do something they already don't want to do.
I suppose that's why we need laws, for the rationally minded.
The Pen is mightier than the Sword remember.
originally posted by: neo96
originally posted by: Mikehawk
a reply to: LesMisanthrope
I understand the point you are trying to make, but you are just wrong.
You need to sit down and have a conversation with Romeo Dallaire.
I've seen him speak first hand about his experiences with incitement of hatred due to propaganda.
Have you forgotten Rwanda?
There are so many more...
And totally IGNORE that thing called free will.
Do you know how many times I said something and people like didn't do anything at all ?
I understand the point you are trying to make, but you are just wrong.
You need to sit down and have a conversation with Romeo Dallaire.
I've seen him speak first hand about his experiences with incitement of hatred due to propaganda.
Have you forgotten Rwanda?
There are so many more...
Yes, I apologize for the trite and oversimplified example. I think the "terrorist" issue has been hotly discussed and the book/imams/religion have commonly been implicated as a cause. I just wanted to throw out a current and relevent example to get the conversation going.
The pen is not mightier than the sword. Try bringing a pen to a sword fight. I love language. But I will not pretend words are agents of action capable of manipulating human matter, because others are more likely to attack the words and language and the speaker than to grapple with their own understanding of the words and language.
You know it is a metaphor and you know there is truth in that saying surely?
What is propaganda if not words and images? Why comfort someone with kind words(it works both ways) why bother saying anything at all? You know about NLP right? Your clearly intelligent enough to grasp that words can and do influence people, so I fail to fully see the point you are trying to make here.
As mentioned in my original post I see the point the OP is trying to make, but his logic on the subject is absent minded in my opinion. The OP appears to have a superiority complex (in regards to this topic) and seems to makes light of complicated issues as if it's all black and white.
originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: Mikehawk
I understand the point you are trying to make, but you are just wrong.
You need to sit down and have a conversation with Romeo Dallaire.
I've seen him speak first hand about his experiences with incitement of hatred due to propaganda.
Have you forgotten Rwanda?
There are so many more...
Are you saying pro-Tutsi propaganda would have led to the opposite effect?
originally posted by: Mikehawk
originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: Mikehawk
I understand the point you are trying to make, but you are just wrong.
You need to sit down and have a conversation with Romeo Dallaire.
I've seen him speak first hand about his experiences with incitement of hatred due to propaganda.
Have you forgotten Rwanda?
There are so many more...
Are you saying pro-Tutsi propaganda would have led to the opposite effect?
I am not a psychic nor do I have the ability to change the past so I cannot give you a definitive answer to your loaded question.
Are you saying so???????
Edit to stay on topic:
The Pygmy Batwa were also exterminated by 30%.
I do think that if the propaganda wasn't so strong many of these people would be alive today.
If words can persuade people to hate. Smiles, laughter, and kindness can persuade them to love.
Then why are you not in agreement with me? Because of your education, your upbringing, and the limits of your language and understanding, not because of my words.
originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
originally posted by: Mikehawk
originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: Mikehawk
I understand the point you are trying to make, but you are just wrong.
You need to sit down and have a conversation with Romeo Dallaire.
I've seen him speak first hand about his experiences with incitement of hatred due to propaganda.
Have you forgotten Rwanda?
There are so many more...
Are you saying pro-Tutsi propaganda would have led to the opposite effect?
I am not a psychic nor do I have the ability to change the past so I cannot give you a definitive answer to your loaded question.
Are you saying so???????
Edit to stay on topic:
The Pygmy Batwa were also exterminated by 30%.
I do think that if the propaganda wasn't so strong many of these people would be alive today.
If propaganda of that sort was presented to you, would you engage in genocide?