Ponderings and Puzzlings

Jay's Kinda Weekly Rant:
I was trying really hard to get back onto a weekly schedule and missed it by a day. Then again, my rants have never been on a regular schedule. Guess that's why all of these rants are qualified with the phrase "kinda weekly".

Ever since my European History recitation today, I've been busy thinking. For example, in class today, the topic was Nazi propaganda. Towards the end of class, our recitation leader posed the question to each of us to the effect of, "Do you believe that you're susceptible to and affected by advertisements?", drawing a parallel between modern advertising methods and those of the Nazis. Now, while one's initial reaction (including mine) might be a defensive, "No, of course not! I'm too smart for that!", I think it would be fairly naïve to believe that. Whether we realize it or not, ads can shape our thinking dramatically. Our recitation leader gave the example of McDonald's billboards; he passes one on his commute back home every day and often thinks, "Hmm, I'm hungry. I wonder if there's a place to eat around here." when he sees it and then realizes, "Oh, there's a McDonald's here. How convenient!" So, he knows that the billboard is doing this to him, yet it works on him anyway. The question is, why is a well-educated person still vulnerable to these advertising techniques that the person recognizes and treats as an ad? The short answer, although I'm trying to avoid oversimplifying it, is that humans have basic needs, such as food, which these ads appeal to directly. As one is going home past one of these signs, one is already hungry, and this ad brings that desire to the surface and provides an easy solution that will satisfy that desire. We may even be resistant to the particular solution which is presented, but it is the most readily available and promises instant gratification.

Thinking about advertising then led me to question whether my political and world views are simply a result of an absorption of influences around me or rather one of sincere, honest reflection and consideration. Now, while it is impossible in my present situation to consider ideas in a vacuum, it is better that I'm not because, otherwise, my already ingrained views would never be challenged, and my views would never have the opportunity to adapt and change. However, even people who are exposed to new ideas, no matter how solid the logic or extensive the evidence is behind them, can easily reject or refuse to accept them. Am I doing that? I like to believe that I'm open-minded; I try to go to see guest lecturers whenever I can, regardless of the speaker's political affiliation or differing views from my own. Even if I am doing that (which I make an effort to do as much as possible), it is quite possible that I'm still only absorbing those ideas to which I already subscribe, and I just block out the rest.

The reason I don't believe that is the case is because I'm not arrogant enough to think that I already know about every nuance of every issue; there are still many areas for which I don't have an established opinion. Thus, if some new notion comes to my attention, I should be able to give it the consideration it deserves. Those ideas to which I've already been exposed got the same treatment as the new ones to which I'm now being exposed, albeit with a more limited knowledge base for the older ideas. At the same time, I do re-examine my established views occasionally, such as when I read the latest issue of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, a publication of the College Republicans, in order to expose them to my current and more expanded knowledge. Thus, overall, I think I have a fairly healthy set of views, and I like to believe that, because of the way I process ideas, those which I take up as my own are solid ones. Considering how much I'm analyzing myself now, I'm not worried about being an inert individual; those who don't go through this process occasionally concern me.