John Gunkler wrote:
>It just isn't true, Joe, I'm afraid. People "get changed" by other people
>without permission (and, often, without knowing it) all the time! That's
>how terrible things like Nazi Germany and South African apartheid happen!
>That's how "mob rule" can take over people at times and result in
>individuals doing things that are counter even to their most deeply held
>moral values. On a slightly more benign scale, it's fundamentally the
>basis of advertising. Did you consciously choose to remember the "hold
>the pickles, hold the lettuce" Burger King jingle -- or did it happen to
>you?
John, if "people 'get changed' by other people without permission (and,
often, without knowing it) all the time" explains how crowds turn into
mobs, what explains crowds that don't turn into mobs? I would argue that
everyone always acts in self interest (not equal to selfish) and will
respond, or not, to "getting changed" based on their assessment of the
benefits of doing so.
If I derive a benefit from generosity of spirit and the "change agent" is
advocating a harsh position, I won't be changed. How I respond has more
to do with the congruence of the change agent with my current mental model
than anything else.
You make a good argument respect to advertising though for its incremental
effects on mental models. Nevertheless, for so long as Advertiser X
promotes its products on Talk Show Z, I'll never buy its products
regardless. Conversely, I'll respond readily to merchants located in my
town, will go to great lengths to support those merchants and will
steadfastly refuse to patronize any other merchant (unless the goods or
services I seek are unavailable locally).
Bill Braun
--Bill Braun <medprac@hlthsys.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>