The Role of Anxiety in Building Empires and Cult Mentalities
Fear is one of the strongest emotions that individuals who know the suitable approaches can use to effectively create empires or cults. This happens by manipulating the mental state of society in order to make them believe the most outlandish things. Thus, fear is one of the tools that is used to manipulate and socially control people.
How Fear Shapes Social Behavior and Collective Belief
One of the assumptions is that people are being manipulated by the textbooks on US history that are provided to them in the classroom. It is argued that “they see our policies as part of a morality play in which the United States typically acts on behalf of human rights, democracy, and ‘the American way” (p. 221). In other words, the history of the development and formation of the country is presented in such a way that America is not the culprit of any problems and does everything out of good intentions.
The Contemporary Use of Fear to Influence Public Perception
A particularly powerful tool that is used to manipulate individuals is the media. The state can easily manipulate the information provided to the public, thereby presenting only the perspective it needs. An example is the incomplete news coverage regarding the conflict currently unfolding between Russia and Ukraine. By instilling a sense of fear about this case, the state can foster any convenient point of view among people, much like a cult (Academy of Ideas, 2015). Thus, individuals in positions of power can influence and manipulate others.
A similar example is the policy of Donald Trump, the former President of the United States of America. In his politics, he often exaggerated the real threat from such problems as illegal immigration, crime rates, and economic challenges. As a result, a large number of people trusted him and chose him in the presidential election.
References
Academy of Ideas. (2015). Fear and social control [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Loewen, J. W. (2007). Lies my teacher told me: Everything your American history textbook got wrong. Atria Books.