Is brainwashing really as simple as rinse and repeat?
Asked by
Pandora (
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August 14th, 2024
I just realized today that I have been going out of my way to do projects I usually delay and pick weird times to clean or do things like suddenly wanting to clean my stove top at night or paint the front of my home where the paint was peeling.
So I have been doing Spanish lessons to brush up on my Spanish since I hardly have an opportunity to practice with another Spanish speaker. All the recent lessons have been constantly repeating cleaning the stove top or painting, or vacuuming or cleaning mirrors or cleaning the outside.
So after spending time cleaning and scrubbing last night, I’m sore and I found that I still wanted to tackle the carpets. But I thought let me do my lessons and then after a few times of them saying to clean the carpets, I wanted to clean the carpets again.
That’s when it hit me. I’m being brainwashed. Not intentionally by the lesson but brainwashed nonetheless. So it made me wonder. Is it really that simple?
If it is, can I self brainwash myself by leaving tons of notes around and constantly reading it?
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9 Answers
The old joke is “I just had my brain washed and now I can’t do a thing with it!”
I occasionally suffer from suddenly needing to be productive at odd hours. Usually I recognize it isn’t a good time (like using the leaf blower at 2am), and limit it to doing dishes or paying bills.
If I see a hamburger commercial I want a burger, and if I see a pizza commercial I want pizza. That’s why I try not to watch too many cooking shows,
I don’t think you were brainwashed, but it very well could be the power of suggestion influencing you.
I do think there is some truth to the more you are exposed to something and read about it, hear about it, watch it on TV, over and over again, you will be swayed to that way of thinking. I have said for 40 years, people become their environment. This is why we think it really matters what group of friends our kids have, because we worry about the influence, Adults get influenced too, but we do get better at knowing ourselves and less easily persuaded than a child.
Brainwashed I think of people unable to listen and take in new information and they tend to close themselves off from people who will counter their beliefs, or I should say they are pressured to close themselves off, like cult behavior, there is overlap of the two.
Huh. I’ve been learning Chinese and have had an urge to go to the park and eat meat buns
我喜歡去公園吃肉包子 ;-)
But seriously, I’m not sure you are being brainwashed. Not in the traditional sense. More like the power of suggestion.
I think in the power of suggestion, you are still in control of your thoughts and opinions. My example is seeing popcorn on TV and wanting some. I can choose to do without. In brainwashing, you lose the ability to choose or decide to ignore the “suggestion”.
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This is my take on it: Brain washing has 2 elements. There’s some sort of abuse or distress applied to the subject and they are indoctrinated in a foreign belief system.
Yes. Gaslighting is also quite a fun parlor trick.
I think it’s more “suggestion” than brainwashing as others have said.
Brainwashing only works on young people with no street smarts/life knowledge, or older people with certain personality types. Such personality types are charmed by specific rhetoric or charisma.
It’s crazy how repetition can influence our behavior! Leaving notes around can definitely help you stay on track with certain tasks or habits. It’s not exactly brainwashing, but it can be a helpful reminder.
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