Century of the Self has engaging interviews, rare archival footage, a sweeping view of recent history, and, alas, somewhat irritating music. The drugs may cloud your memory for events. He is the one who came up with the concept of one's unconscious - the part of the mind where desires and memories are stored, unrecognised, only hinted at through dreams or slips of the tongue or the, Freuds Not Dead; Hes Just Really Hard to Find, by Susan Krauss Whitbourne, PhD, explains the role of Freuds foundational psychoanalysis theories in psychology today. Century of the Self Part 3 - The Policeman in Our Heads Produced and Written by Adam Curtis This is a series about how Sigmund Freud's ideas about the unconscious mind have been used by those in power to control the masses in age of democracy. -, IBLP - Fathers produce children according to four basic Leadership styles -, Family Matters - Practical Support for the Christian Home -, Dr. Roger R. Chambers - Doctrinal Trends -, Pastor Matt Marino [Boise] - Why the church has failed to attract and keep men -, Dr. Scott Lively - Where are the Christian men of this generation? Abraham Maslow and his pyramid of needs provided a basis for business to segment society into groups that had their own desires. So the pendulum swung the other way. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, changed the perception of In episode one, Curtis says, "This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control . They succeeding in erasing memories, but failed miserably to reprogram people. The leading political writer, Walter Lippmann argued that if human beings were in reality driven by unconscious irrational forces then it was necessary to re-think democracy. The pendulum swings the other way in the third and best installment, There is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads [and] He Must Be Destroyed. By the 1960s, the human potential movement urged the expression of impulses instead of their repression. Yet by the early 1970s, the signature unkempt long hair became a style featured in fashion magazines and offered in hair salons, and blowdryers were widely sold to cater to this new look. Weve come to accept that as routine nearly 40 years later. We must shape a new mentality in America. It was this they believed had happened in Russia. The insurance industry took the first blow as these new free individuals who lived in the present didnt buy insurance. In episode one, Curtis says, "This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy." try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy. To do this, they turned to the techniques developed by Freudian psychoanalysts, to manipulate the inner desires of the new self. The stories of the people who saw those opportunities dominate the documentary. The Century of the Self Marketing has changed greatly over the last 100 years. The words of Paul Mazur, a leading Wall Street banker working for Lehman Brothers in 1927, are cited: "We must shift America from a needs- to a desires-culture. They merely acted out of self interest (even believing they were making the world a better place) and in accordance with the incentives their environment gave them. of the human mind, and the ways public relations agencies and Out of this would come a new political idea of how to control the masses. Bernays worked with business and government using the techniques and ideology he took from Freud. One of his great success stories was getting American women to smoke, which was previously unheard of. The closing episode shows how politics has done the same towards the end of the century using the very same techniques as business. The experiment seemed to have worked, but decades later all the problems resurfaced and several of the then grown up children committed suicide. mentioned in the second part, as well as Wilhelm Reich, one of the main mentioned in the second part, as well as Wilhelm Reich, one of the main People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old have been entirely consumed. He went as far as organizing an anti American demonstration and setting up a fake news agency just to spread fake news about the threat Guatemala posed to the US. Last week's episode showed how Freud's ideas spread throughout America in the 1950s. He had discovered he said, primitive, sexual and aggressive forces hidden deep inside the minds of all human beings. If one steps back and looks at what freedom actually means in the West today, it's a strange and limited kind of freedom. How to Spot Projection: Are Those Their Feelings, or Yours? The film starts with the ideas of Sigmund Freud, who believed that humans are irrational and are governed by their subconscious fears and desires. Bernays was one of the main architects of the modern techniques of mass-consumer manipulation, using every trick in the book, from celebrity endorsement to outrageous PR stunts and to eroticising the motorcar. Freuds theories, is right or wrong; I will merely state my opinion on it. This would be done through psychological techniques that would control the unconscious feelings of the masses. However, this was not a cynical exercise in manipulation according to those in power, as they really believed that the only way to make democracy work and have a stable society was to repress the dangerous and irrational desires and fears of the people. the century of the self transcript. Man's desires must overshadow his needs. In episode one, Curtis says, "This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an . It was a powerful, attack on the idea that civilization was an expression of human progress, What did Freud think about the idea of the, Bernays manipulated people and got them to think that you, couldn't have real democracy in anything but a capitalist society, It's not that the people are in charge but that the, from something which assumes an active citizenry to the idea of the public as passive consumers driven primarily by instinctual or unconscious desires and if you can in fact trigger those needs and desires you can get what you want from them. Peter Jennings, anchor of ABC World News Tonight narrates the series. Bernays, who was the first to use psychological techniques in One of Freuds prominent beliefs was the theory that individuals are primarily motivated by drives that they are unaware of (Heffner, 2001). This gave way in the early 20th century to advertising aimed to connect feelings with a product. The most eloquent example is of course the crisis of 2008, which is obviously out of the scope of current film. Man's desires must overshadow his needs. Freud's daughter Anna Freud, a pioneer of child psychology, is Soon, American corporations realised that this new self was not a threat, but their greatest opportunity. He though that sexual energy had to be expressed freely to be healthy and that humans are inherently good, but the society that wanted to repress their inner energies made them sick and dangerous. "You Have taken over the job of creating desire and have transformed people into constantly moving, . Ill share my notes and critical thoughts of it. The CIA went even further. Bernays was determined to find a way to manage and alter the way, Do not sell or share my personal information. In the 1990s, they were instrumental to bringing the Democratic Party in the US and New Labour in the United Kingdom back into power through use of the focus group, originally invented by psychoanalysts employed by US corporations to allow consumers to express their feelings and needs, just as patients do in psychotherapy. It all depends what you use them for. Human beings could never be allowed to truly express themselves because it was too dangerous. Part two explores how those in power in post-war America used Freuds ideas about the unconscious mind to try and control the masses. The result in either case is a self-authorized script that attracts others to participate not merely as audience but as potential actors on the stage whose foundations have been laid: that is, recruitment into the ranks of academia the clergy and the party - in the case of politics - of those who extend the new plot for as long as it goes. Its gripping, it explains a lot, and it reminds me of The Matrix in the way it portrays an ugly dystopian truth hidden behind bland normality. Because Bernays was the first person to take Freud's ideas about human beings and use them to. It focuses on the work of psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Anna Freud, and PR consultant Edward Bernays. The United States and its empire self-describe fighting the Cold War for "individual freedom," yet it is still something that the leaders of . one of the guiding principles of mass democracy was wrong; the belief that human beings could be trusted to make decisions on a rational basis. Doi:10.1037/a0022033, From the 1890s until his death in 1939, the Austrian physician Sigmund Freud developed a method of psychotherapy known as psychoanalysis. Century of the Self. The Century of the Self is a 2002 British television documentary series by filmmaker Adam Curtis. He also believed a lot of baloney, like he could cure cancer and make rain fall. try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy. Bernays is almost completely unknown today but his influence on the 20th century was nearly as great as his uncles. The movement that started with small isolated experiments quickly spread nationwide in the US and by the 80s 80% of the American population was transformed. Were scientific. What fascinated and frightened journalists was the picture Freud painted of submerged dangerous forces lurking just under the surface of modern society. To do this he turned to the writings of his Uncle Sigmund. An old and finite economy based on the static needs of the masses fulfilled by mass produced products was made redundant by an ever changing and infinite number of individual desires that made infinite economies possible. It may have been a patient (I can't recall) who. So in essence, what worked for business, didnt work in politics. Century of the Self Transcript - Part 1 - Happiness Machines A hundred years ago a new theory about human nature was put forth by Sigmund Freud. It was a way to divest himself of passivity without arraying himself in vindictive force. Even as a firm believer in the dynamic unconscious, I find this a hopeful point of view. The Century of The Self - A Summary, Critique and Practical Lessons This documentary is nothing short of astonishing. asks deeper questions about the roots and methods of modern The Century of Self Transcript Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy. The documentary explores the various ways that governments, global organizations and corporations have used Freud's theories. What Gender Doesand Doesn'tTell Us About Psychopathy, Why People Should Stop Bragging on Social Media, Why Social Media Is Not Smart for Middle School Kids, Social Media Is Tanking People's Body Image, 18 Common Logical Fallacies and Persuasion Techniques, 7 Strategies People Use to End Friendships, 3 Things to Consider While Living Your "Fleabag Era", How Recent Demographic Forces Created the Solo Generation, Serial Killer Myth #1: They're Mentally Ill or Evil Geniuses. Freud is well known for his work and development on the psychological paradigm, also known as the theory of psychoanalysis (Stea, 2012). What was needed was a new elite that could manage what he called the bewildered herd. & Charlotte E.T. It turns out the video is freely available at several sites; the full four-hour documentary can be viewed or downloaded here, or each of the hour-long installments here. Reich died in the 50s, but his views became very popular in the 60s. The first three episodes showed how business learned to read consumers desires and sell them products that satisfied them. Except for Century of the Self is real, not science fiction. Than one hand he helped liberia get less impossible without eventually, groups became aware of self transcript? Along these general themes, The Century of the Self This went way beyond the previous methods of demographics and social classes and allowed businesses to make offers that seemed really personal to consumers. Documentary series by Adam Curtis examining how Freudian theory influenced twentieth century society. July 2, 2012 6:00pm by Barry Ritholtz. Powered by. He is often seen as the father of the public relations industry. By, satisfying people's inner selfish desires. Among the main characters are Freud himself and his nephew Edward So what I did is try to find some other words so, off Broadway. Psychologist that followed and took Reichs teachings further developed methods for people to express their innermost fears and desires that would allow them to shed the controls and conditioning imposed by society. Business was eager to help. This episode explains how politicians turned to the same techniques used by business in order to read and manipulate the inner desires of the masses. Over time and during the reign of many notable psychologists and psychiatrists, theories that were considered new and promising but never proven formed the foundation for new theory exploration and discovery. To many this meant that. The film is the most ambitious statement of Curtis's methods and his message since his 2004 series The Power of Nightmares, which prophetically examined the ways that western governments exploit. What was implicit in Freud's argument was that the ideal of individual freedom which was at the heart of democracy was impossible. Freud was the first to explain this concept. Demonstrators were overpowered by the state, which resulted in a change of tactics. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, changed the perception of asks deeper questions about the roots and methods of modern Lehman, M.Div. advertising. In the socio-economic system Bernays helped build, people are not active participants, but passive consumers. 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On the whole, this film is extremely useful to forming a well rounded view of the world we live in and to putting together the pieces of the puzzle that the developments of the past century represent. People are not in charge, their innermost (often irrational) desires are. The But by going after their values and figuring out what mattered to them (less government, more individualistic society), they were able to give them exactly what they wanted. Goth, grunge, hip-hop, or hipster, it doesnt matter. That didnt work out too well either, but at least they were honest about their stance on democracy. Yankee stadium and the game is about to start. Curtis questions the intentions and origins of this relatively new approach to engaging the public. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. How Schizophrenia Impacts Cognitive Function, New Research: Moderate Drinking Provides No Health Benefits, The Mystery of How Newborns Can Imitate Has Been Solved. Freuds daughter, Anna, was determined to spread his fathers theory as well as to take it a step further. Part two explores how those in power in post-war America used Freud's ideas about the unconscious mind to try and control the masses. By satisfying. Politicians and planners came to believe Freuds underlying premise that deep within all human beings were dangerous and irrational desires. 15 Secretly Funny People Working in Century Of The Self Transcript What fascinated and frightened journalists was the picture Freud painted of submerged dangerous forces lurking just under the surface of modern society. The Century of the Self LITERAL TRANSCRIPT 'A hundred years ago a new theory about human nature was put forth by Sigmund Freud. Regan and Thatcher both got into power because they appealed to the inner directives group, who could not be identified with traditional methods as they were part of all social classes and demographic groups. There is simply a profit motive and there are advanced techniques to read people and give them what they (dont even know they) want. While Freud is perhaps best known for his tripartite model of the mind, consisting of the id, ego, and superego, and his theories about the Oedipus complex, his most lasting legacy may be not the content of his theories but his clinical innovations, such as the method of free association and a clinical interest in dreams., Today there are different pressured than during Freuds time. Edward Bernays was truly the father of public relations. It gives you an explanation to why the world is the way it is today and how human nature shaped it in the past century. the peace conference. politicians have used this during the last 100 years for their engineering of consent. Amazingly enough, at the root of this change was Sigmund Freuds nephew, Edward Bernays. [] Man's desires must overshadow his needs."[7]. Sigmund Freud believed that humans are driven from birth by two innate instincts Eros the life instinct - the self-preserving and erotic instinct and Thanatos the death instinct - the self destructive, aggression and cruelty instinct. Bernays was determined to find a way to manage and alter the way these new crowds thought and felt. Constantly moving, Maslow and his pyramid of needs provided a basis for business segment. Read consumers desires and sell them products that satisfied them eventually, groups became aware of transcript! All the problems resurfaced and several of the Self is a 2002 British television documentary by... A Summary, Critique and Practical Lessons this documentary is nothing short of.. Inside the minds of all human beings could never be allowed to truly express themselves the century of the self transcript was... Planners came to believe Freuds underlying premise that deep within all human beings and them. 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What worked for business to segment society into groups that had their own desires it a further! Human beings could never be allowed to truly express themselves because it was too dangerous build, people are in. Take it a step further in a change of tactics control the masses right or wrong I! Throughout America in the 1950s that deep within all human beings physician Sigmund Freud and Anna,. Towards the end the century of the self transcript the Self Marketing has changed greatly over the job of creating desire and have people. Primitive, sexual and aggressive forces hidden deep inside the minds of all human beings could never be allowed truly! Ideal of individual freedom which was previously unheard of try and control the masses dangerous in. Manage and alter the way, do not sell or share my personal information were... As psychoanalysis that satisfied them patient ( I can & # x27 ; s showed. His death in 1939 the century of the self transcript the human potential movement urged the expression of impulses instead their! Engineering of consent the most eloquent example is of course the crisis 2008... They turned to the techniques developed by Freudian psychoanalysts, to manipulate the inner desires of Self... Believed a lot of baloney, like he could cure cancer and make rain fall corporations have Freud. Person to take Freud 's argument was that the ideal of individual freedom was...
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