Propaganda Brain

Mendacity: according to current thinking, we and our fellow primates — chimps, bonobos, gorillas  — are all capable liars; and there seem to be evolutionary advantages to the capability. Even some birds may do it. But no one does it better than us: hyperbole, PR, advertising, white lies, half-truths, whoppers. And beginning the moment we learn our native language.

It’s fundamental to neuroscience that our brains are physically and chemically altered by experience. Including the experience of early and ongoing bombardment with mendacity in all its forms.  It’s well known that biases greatly influence how we perceive the world, including making us more susceptible to believing mis-information.

I call this particular neurological bias Propaganda Brain. The continual conditioning of our neural networks by lifelong exposure to mendacity.  How exactly does this change our brain circuitry?  I can’t really say, nor can anyone else.  But I suspect that Propaganda Brain increases our susceptibility to imbroglioni (con men) and truffatori (swindlers). Propaganda can neurologically breed more of itself by creating and reinforcing alterations in our brain circuitry.

Escape or stanch the proliferation of mis-information? While continuing to subject ourselves to this lifelong barrage of prevarication?  Good luck; it seems unlikely. While evolution may have included it in our DNA, we don’t collaborate with Nature in its use, unlike our primate cousins. lifetime exposure to mendacity’s use to encourage and cajole ecocidal consumption has possibly left us with irredeemably altered neural circuits. So I think it’s logical to reserve a spot on the BumRack for the advertising “industry”. Perhaps even  a merda d’oro award for its exceptional gold-plated bullshit contribution to Propaganda Brain.