“THE MORAL INSTINCT” – MEGA MOTIVATION THEORY – A CRITICAL PRE-CONDITION FOR HUMANITY’S SURVIVAL – BY RICHARD W. SYMONDS

I’m going to write this book ”The Moral Instinct” - along the lines of “The Language Instinct” by Steven Pinker – which I’ve been planning to do for years.

 Have any of you out there any advice before I start ?

MOTIVATION AND THE MANIPULATION OF OUR MINDS

The manipulation of our primary motivations is so common-place now that we hardly notice it (’sex sells’ etc) – but we better start noticing now…

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17865.htm (hat-tip : Anticant)

THE MOTIVATION FOR PROFIT = CAPITALISM. THE MOTIVATION FOR EQUALITY = SOCIALISM. THE MOTIVATION FOR POWER = TOTALITARIANISM

Three questions need to be answered clearly, concisely and urgently :

(1) What is Capitalism – and is that the same as Tory Conservatism ?

(2) What is Socialism – and is that the same as Communism ?

(3)  What is Totalitarianism – and is that the same as Fascism ?

“PUBLIC SERVICE MOTIVATION”

This is worthy of further study :

http://jpart.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/10/2/471

GEORGE ORWELL AND THE FOUR PRIMARY MOTIVATORS

“THE ENERGY THAT ACTUALLY SHAPES THE WORLD SPRINGS FROM EMOTIONS – RACIAL PRIDE, LEADER-WORSHIP, RELIGIOUS BELIEF, LOVE OF WAR – “ 

(Source : “Wells, Hitler and the World State”, Horizon, August 1941)

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE MORE PEOPLE TO VOTE ?

While more than 60% of people couldn’t be bothered to vote here in England last May, nearly 85% could be bothered in France – and nearly 100% in India.

This is deeply disturbing for our so-called democracy in this country.

 How do you motivate more people to vote ?

 Any ideas ?  

THE MOTIVES OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN IRAQ

FROM A BRITISH ARMY OFFICER :

‘There is a widespread, and well-sourced, belief based on both experience and evidence, in both the British military and academia, that the US is not “just in Iraq to keep the peace, regardless of what the troops on the ground believe. It is in Iraq to establish a client state amenable to the requirements of US realpolitik in a key, oil-rich region. To doubt this is to be ignorant of the MOTIVES that have guided US foreign policy in the post-war period* and a mountain of evidence since 2003.” (quote from medialens)’

 Full Text :

MEDIA LENS: Correcting for the distorted vision of the corporate media June 1, 2007 MEDIA ALERT: ILLEGAL, IMMORAL, UNWINNABLE - A BRITISH ARMY OFFICER REPLIES TO MARK URBAN Yesterday, in response to our latest Media Alert, ‘Newsnight Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban Responds,’ we received a further reply from Mark Urban. Urban argued that our analysis “is put together by you sitting at home, sifting current events through a dense filter of ideology”. In particular, he lampooned our view of the US motivation in Iraq: “I do however think that your desire to force all of the elements in a woefully complex situation into a simple proposition such as, ‘America's real objective is to smother all opposition so they can pinch the oil‘, to be a sorry form of fundamentalism.” (Email to Media Lens, May 31, 2007) We hope to discuss Urban’s reply in more detail later (readers can see his email here: http://www.medialens.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8615#8615). Meanwhile, we have also received a copy of an important and courageous email sent to Urban by a serving British Army officer. The officer has given us permission to publish his message, which reveals much that is normally hidden about the true military view of the Iraq war. He has asked to remain anonymous. We have invited Mark Urban to respond to the email that follows: Dear Mr Urban, I am a serving British Army officer with operational experience in a number of theatres. I am concerned regarding the effect of your recent reports from Baghdad. I have been forwarded the correspondence between yourself and David Edwards of medialens.org, and would like to highlight that it is not merely medialens users, who are concerned about embedded coverage with the US Army. The intentions and continuing effects of the US-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq have been questioned by too few people in the mainstream media and political parties, primarily only the Guardian and Independent, and the Liberal Democrats, respectively. There is a widespread, and well-sourced, belief based on both experience and evidence, in both the British military and academia, that the US is not "just in Iraq to keep the peace, regardless of what the troops on the ground believe. It is in Iraq to establish a client state amenable to the requirements of US realpolitik in a key, oil-rich region. To doubt this is to be ignorant of the motives that have guided US foreign policy in the post-war period* and a mountain of evidence since 2003." (quote from medialens) That the invasion was 'illegal, immoral and unwinnable', and the 'greatest foreign policy blunder since Suez' - to paraphrase the Liberal Democrats - is the overwhelming feeling of many of my peers, and they speak of loathsome six-month tours, during which they led patrols with dread and fear, reluctantly providing target practice for insurgents, senselessly haemorrhaging casualties, and squandering soldiers' lives, as part of Bush's vain attempt to delay the inevitable Anglo-US rout until after the next US election. Given a free choice most of us would never have invaded Iraq, and certainly would have withdrawn long ago. Hopefully, Tony Blairs's handover to Gordon Brown will herald a change of policy, and rapid withdrawal, but skewed pro-US coverage inhibits proper public debate, and is deeply unhealthy; lethally-so to many of us deployed to Iraq. The [inadvertent] dangers of bias of embedded journalism are well known and there is a risk that the 'official line' can be conflated with evidence and facts. Jon Snow graphically demonstrated the effect of this during the initial invasion of Iraq in his programme The True Face of War**. I am conscious that reporting independently, outside of the 'green zone' in Iraq is nigh on impossible, but I would merely request that the 'official line/White House propaganda' be handled with an appropriate degree of scepticism, and be caveated accordingly. Thank you for your time, <name omitted>

THE MANIPULATION OF MOTIVATIONS – ADVERTISING – AND GEORGE ORWELL

The manipulation of our motivations has become a huge industry (eg the advertising industry).

Here are 12 ‘Archetypes’ (eg Motivations) which some advertisers use to persuade ’consumers’ to buy a product, service and/or idea : http://joannapenabickley.typepad.com/on/2007/06/on_the_12_arche.html

 Advertisers deliberately target children, especially on Saturday morning TV, with pernicious techniques akin to a subtle form of child abuse – such techniques can literally ’rape the mind’.

Children of all ages – especially grown-ups – are also exposed to this – it’s called Brainwashing – and most so-called adults are pitifully unaware of the power of such propaganda.

It’s not just corporate trans-national corporations who are primarily responsible for the manipulation of our motivations – governments are at it too – especially when it comes to motivating people to hate (and/or fear) others, enough to go to war against them - and kill them.

Take a look at this, and see how many ‘motivation strings are being pulled’ – and by whom I wonder :

http://lilpoh.blogspot.com/2007/05/people-sleep-peaceably-in-their-beds-at.html

MOTIVATION – THE IMAGINARY CONVERSATIONS – GEORGE ORWELL (1903-1950)

Narrator : GO (George Orwell – nee Eric Blair) is famous for writing Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. His last-known published words were : “Don’t let it happen. It depends on you”. RWS (Richard W. Symonds) – the writer of this blog – considers ‘1984′ THE political ‘textbook’ of the 21st century.

RWS : What motivates you, Mr Orwell, and why – or do I call you Mr Blair ?

GO : Mind your own business. Go away and leave me alone.  

MOTIVATION – THE IMAGINARY CONVERSATIONS – NOAM CHOMSKY (1928 TO PRESENT)

Narrator : NC (Noam Chomsky) has been described as ‘The Einstein of Modern Linguistics’, and he is a formidable political analyst. RWS (Richard W. Symonds) – author of this blog – considers Chomsky to be ’America’s Orwell’.

RWS : What motivates you, Professor Chomsky, and why ?

NC : Why should my motivation be of any concern to anyone – except possibly myself.  All I will say to you is this : We think in words.