The Century Of The Self 1 of 4 | One: Happiness Machines
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Uploaded by Servant2All on Jan 28, 2011
Adam Curtis' acclaimed series examines the rise of the all-consuming self against the backdrop of the Freud dynasty. This series is a MUST SEE for all those who want to know the truth about the use of subliminal manipulation of the subconscious to induce the "buying of products" - be they consumer goods, policies, or politicians.
,,,and ultimately the creation of "false flag" operations to induce the "nightmares" [nexuses of evil, terrorism, etc.] needed to maintain the allegience to these "products" that only a common enemy can achieve...
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend.".
Creator, Adam Curtis, has graciously made this BBC series available for download in various formats at Internet Archive here:
http://www.archive.org/details/AdamCurtis_TheCenturyOfTheSelf
SERIES DETAIL:
To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people. Certainly the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? The Century of the Self tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States. How was the all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests?
The Freud dynasty is at the heart of this compelling social history. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis; Edward Bernays, who invented public relations; Anna Freud, Sigmund's devoted daughter; and present-day PR guru and Sigmund's great grandson, Matthew Freud.
Sigmund Freud's work into the bubbling and murky world of the subconscious changed the world. By introducing a technique to probe the unconscious mind, Freud provided useful tools for understanding the secret desires of the masses. Unwittingly, his work served as the precursor to a world full of political spin doctors, marketing moguls, and society's belief that the pursuit of satisfaction and happiness is man's ultimate goal.
EPISODE DETAIL: Happiness Machines
The story of the relationship between Sigmund Freud and his American nephew, Edward Bernays. Bernays invented the public relations profession in the 1920s and was the first person to take Freud's ideas and use them to manipulate the masses. He showed American corporations how they could make people want things they didn't need by systematically linking mass-produced goods to their unconscious desires.
Bernays was one of the main architects of the modern techniques of mass-consumer persuasion, using every trick in the book, from celebrity endorsement and outrageous PR stunts, to eroticising the motorcar.
His most notorious coup was breaking the taboo on women smoking by persuading them that cigarettes were a symbol of independence and freedom. But Bernays was convinced that this was more than just a way of selling consumer goods. It was a new political idea of how to control the masses. By satisfying the inner irrational desires that his uncle had identified, people could be made happy and thus docile.
It was the start of the all-consuming self which has come to dominate today's world.
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Uploader Comments (Servant2All)
Top Comments
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@livingmartyr1 I believe ALL gods AND demons to be anthropomorphic symbols of perceived good and bad qualities/characteristics/trai
ts. Thus, I serve NO myths - including gods and demons. My "service" is to humanity. 5 months ago 11
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@Utubetrek1 MANY! We are sold the falsehood that "public servants" have actual policy differences, and really serve the public when the reality is that they jockey for a chance to head the the "syndicate" that is the rich/big business and follow their directives. They analyze us to determine the best way to hock their wares. Meantime we scuffle over red herring issues of race, sexual preference, religion, etc. and overlook the REAL issues of class and control of monetary flow...
10 months ago 8
Video Responses
All Comments (34)
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No, it's not spam. What are you afraid of?
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Great video.
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Bernays was a real jerk, huh?
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Anyone notice to oddly shaped evil looking skull at 33:30? Seems an appropriate image considering the content of this piece.
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@TheEdelweissPirate This documentary did not present the idea that "the public" was the cause of WWI. It presented the idea that Freud saw it (I quote the doc) "as terrible evidence of the truth of his findings. 'The saddest thing', he wrote, 'is that this is the way we should have expected people to behave from our knowledge of psychoanalysis.'" This film is a look at Freud's perspective, not an endorsement of what he believed.
Awesome!
someonedanya2011 1 week ago
@someonedanya2011 Glad you like it. Feel free to share. It's not MY content so I would get no funds even if I were a partner. ...but good information NEEDS to be shared...
Servant2All 1 week ago