We've reached the part of the thread where I recommend Adam Curtis's 4-part documentary, The Century of the Self. No discussion about engineering consent, self-serving gurus, or the elite's manipulation of the meaner classes (cf. Oprah's retailing of personal growth to unsuspecting soccer moms) is complete without a review of this extraordinary work.
This is the only 4 hour film I've ever watched that I was sorry when it was over. The BBC broadcast it in the UK; PBS declined to show it in the US. I'm not sure what that means, but I am sure it means something.
Curtis initially uses politics to illuminate the issues we talk about in this thread, but, as you will see, there's no difference between the packaging of politicians and the marketing of self-help programs, which are the focus of the third hour of the film.
Both products (and that's all Western politicians are these days) are cynically constructed to appeal to our deepest dreams, desires, and wishes; both fields (mis)use the language of personal responsiblity, free choice, and unlimited fulfillment to attract buyers (voters).
And both fields rely on consumers' ignorance of the techniques their practioners use. As Anticult is fond of saying, once you learn how these techniques work, they won't work on you anymore.
The Century of the Self:
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video.google.com]#