The Theory of Planned Induced Apathy
Are You Being Duped? The Apathy You Feel Toward Your Government and Politics May be Planned.
Apathy.
The dictionary describes this state of human existence as having a lack of interest; listless condition; unconcerned; and/or indifference.
I've been thinking about this word and the way we humans end up here.
When I hear the media, various politicians, and government officials talk about "voter apathy," and "low voter turn out" at the polls and wonder why the citizenry for the greatest country in the world seem as unconcerned as to what happens in this country, our counties and cities.
Although when I talk to my friends and acquaintances they don't seem unconcerned for the most part.
They always have an opinion, and some seem downright angry when you talk about the subject.
As I've thought about and studied this condition I began to ask questions of the people around me, like, "Why didn't you vote in this last election?" The answers I received aren't going to shock you, because I'm sure most of you reading this would answer in the same way.
Replies include, "What good does it do, it's all rigged anyway"; "there were no real choices"; "why should I - I would be voting between the lesser of two evils.
" When I talk to people who did vote, very few were positive about the experience.
Their replies were interesting though, I would hear, "Because it's my right and my obligation"; "because I wanted to try and make a difference, even though I know it won't"; "I want to be involved.
" What I'm beginning to see from one end of the country to the other as I travel, is the amount of frustration and underlying anger in people when they talk about their government.
Have you ever said anything like these comments about voting when talking about the government on any level? Are you someone that is feeling a sense of frustration with the whole process, to the point of not really caring? If you answered yes to those questions; you are apathetic.
Have you ever wondered why the poll takers don't ask real questions? Is it because they don't want real answers? Or do they want planned outcomes? I've received calls from poll takers and they will ask a question that shouldn't be answered with a yes or no, but if I wanted to participate in the poll, I had to make a choice.
Answer the question with a yes or no, or hang up.
But when you are investigating something that is as important to our wants and feelings concerning our governing - as some of the polls can be, is that the right way to ask the question? Probably not; in my trek of thought and discussion I found that "apathy" is a condition that is brought on by a feeling of helplessness.
The more helpless you feel, the more frustration you feel, the more apathetic you become.
When you feel you have no control over the things that affect you, your family or your ability to earn a living or earn the living you know you could earn - then the anger you feel becomes a problem.
It will literally affect every area of your life, as you think, why should I vote or participate? Anything I do or try to do won't make a difference! You know from speaking with others around you that they feel the same way.
Most people are as apathetic as you.
The Theory Okay, let's get down to this theory I have about apathy.
As I began to look at the polls (as skewed as I think most are), and found some do voice in overwhelming numbers what we Americans are feeling.
Then I read statistics about the large number of calls or emails our representatives are receiving on certain "hot button" issues, but I see our representatives doing the opposite of what the citizenry is voicing.
It is as though they are truly deaf.
I have to ask the questions, "Why are they not listening to the voice of the people? Aren't they there to represent us, we the people?" There are so many times I have seen this happen I have begun to see a pattern.
(Or am I becoming paranoid?) If there is a pattern, there has to be a reason the pattern exists.
If these officials are voted into office to represent us, why are they not representing us? While investigating this phenomenon I began to think, what if the representatives want us frustrated, what if they want us apathetic.
As to the reasons for this...
let me defer that part of the theory for just a minute.
I came across a 1965 psychological study by Martin Seligman and S.
F.
Meir based at the University of Pennsylvania called Learned Helplessness.
The book written concerning these studies is "Learned Helplessness: A Theory for the Age of Control, New York: Oxford University Press ISBN 0195044673.
What the researchers discovered was they can so frustrate their subjects when they tried to accomplish normal activities by blocking that activity at every turn that most of the subjects eventually gave up trying that activity.
In other words they became "APATHETIC".
The researchers were able, over a period of years, to prove this theory time and time again.
The one anomaly they found was this; approximately one third of the subjects they studied continued to find a way out or around the problem they were presented with no matter what.
This led the researchers to believe perhaps a segment of the population may be genetically predisposed to optimism.
Isn't that interesting? So knowing this, would it be so hard to make the leap to see a leader or group of leaders becoming so arrogant and drunk with power that they would turn a blind-eye and a deaf-ear to their constituency, to do nothing more as to frustrate their constituency into apathetic submission? It seems unlikely doesn't it? So why would your representatives collectively want you apathetic? The theory continues like this; the more apathetic you are, the less involved in what's happening.
If you are not involved, you become ignorant (not stupid, just uneducated) about any issue.
If you are ignorant, the natural response is to follow the leader.
When we follow the leader through ignorance we ascribe more power to that leader or representative than what they are due.
Thus they have more latitude to move unhindered, and unchecked.
The old adage of "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is correct.
Why else do they continue to pass laws they don't even read, and then exempt themselves from those laws, and fight over the most trivial conflict? They are forever continually pointing fingers at someone else and never accept blame for their actions or the actions of the Congress they have worked in.
When a big issue comes along like, "Illegal Immigration" and the American people have more than voiced their opinion time and time again, screaming at their televisions sets and radios for years, the politicians are turning a deaf ear once again.
WHY? If they can get you to become so frustrated you can't stand it any longer, they know, you will give up, shut up and walk away saying, "it doesn't do any good, I'm just one person.
" They know you will give up rather than continue to fight because fighting is unpleasant and hard.
So, once again they have won the game of PLANNED INDUCED APATHY.
(read story below) What if this isn't collusion? Let me use the following analogy.
Most of us know or have known a woman who has been abused by her husband.
The woman is told and shown through her abuser by physical abuse that she can do nothing apart from him.
Every time she tries to make things better (trying to find away around her problem) he's there to smack her down physically and/or mentally frustrating every move she makes to make things better in her family to fulfill his warped view of control.
After so much of this abuse she becomes apathetic, subject to whatever whim her abuser wants.
She goes along to get along, and learns to function within the ever changing boundaries he has set.
If she ever gets to the point of escaping his rant and threats of further retribution grow even worse.
My point is this; the abuser's control isn't so much a planned thing.
He doesn't set down and plan I'm going to be abusive so I can whip my wife into submission.
No I believe this action stems from an injured psychological view point of life, but the outcome is the same.
Even if our leader's intent isn't a planned coup d'état on our psyche, the resulting apathy is the end sum.
So, what is the answer? The answer lies within you.
Remember, it is the problem you want to fix that drove you to apathy in the first place.
We give up too early, because the road seems really hard and the problems insurmountable.
My view is that the problems only seem insurmountable because that is what you've been programmed to see.
Like the abused woman who's abuser make's them feel they can't do anything apart from the abuser, thus programming "perceived helplessness and apathy.
" What needs to happen? Some of the change that needs to take place is you and I becoming more involved.
Turning off American Idol or Grey's Anatomy (well at least recording it so you can watch later) and attending your school board meeting, the monthly City Council or Planning and Zoning meetings.
Finding ways to become more knowledgeable about today's events and issues and forming your opinion and voicing that opinion to your leaders.
Without being ashamed or beaten back by their silence or ridicule.
For example, One day in a Chamber of Commerce meeting I confronted then Senator John Danforth about the IRS never balancing their own books or the Congress' lack to balance the budget and how if that were business we would be forced to lay-off workers and disciplinary actions would follow and we would be forced to get a hold of the problem.
My question was then followed by the applause of the audience (showing agreement).
Right off the bat Danforth stated I shouldn't be listening so much to talk radio and how laying off good people in the government wasn't going to solve our problems.
That was it, my answer.
Then he thanked the Chamber for inviting him to the lunch and closed the Q and A even though I was still standing.
I should have demanded a real answer to my question, now that I look back at the whole situation, but I thought I would be embarrassed by pressing a guest.
I have been in management and a business owner for many years and if I had received an answer like that from a subordinate (which he was in reality) I would have fired them on the spot.
I should have never backed down, and I won't in the future, and neither should you.
Next, I really think we are at the point for the whole country to "voting the bums out.
" I think there should be an immense movement across the country to clean the entire Congress.
Now, when you start talking this way, listen to what the good leaders of the day say.
"Well, if you vote me out, the other areas of the country won't and the way we've set up the Congress is on seniority, not merit, so your new representative will be starting from scratch and we won't get the good programs (as much pork) back to our precinct.
" Compare that to the abuser and his wife...
sound familiar? DO NOT LET THEM FOOL YOU! We need leaders that take real responsibility, that won't run from the problems of the day because it is not expedient to a political career.
We need to take back the incentive to get into Congress and stay there forever, by removing retroactively much of their over burdening and grossly inflated retirement plans.
We need to make sure they are working I mean actually working, reading bills all the way through and knowing what is inside each bill and subjecting themselves to the same law they are willing to pass onto us.
We want representatives that are there to work in behalf of the country and not their party or their career.
We want to be ruled by law not by government.
We need a way to revoke a setting judge if they become activist or derelict of duty.
Although we are a Republic which is ruled by law to protect the little guy or small groups, fringe groups need to be checked.
If we cannot get back to the basics this great country of ours was founded on, and the frustration level of the people keep rising, we will see sometime in the future demonstrations of violence not demonstrations of peace as they should be.
We will be like those in other countries that cannot respect the belief or thoughts of our follow citizens because they are just too abused to take it anymore.
So whose fault will this be? Believe me when I tell you, "The fish stinks from the head down.
"
Apathy.
The dictionary describes this state of human existence as having a lack of interest; listless condition; unconcerned; and/or indifference.
I've been thinking about this word and the way we humans end up here.
When I hear the media, various politicians, and government officials talk about "voter apathy," and "low voter turn out" at the polls and wonder why the citizenry for the greatest country in the world seem as unconcerned as to what happens in this country, our counties and cities.
Although when I talk to my friends and acquaintances they don't seem unconcerned for the most part.
They always have an opinion, and some seem downright angry when you talk about the subject.
As I've thought about and studied this condition I began to ask questions of the people around me, like, "Why didn't you vote in this last election?" The answers I received aren't going to shock you, because I'm sure most of you reading this would answer in the same way.
Replies include, "What good does it do, it's all rigged anyway"; "there were no real choices"; "why should I - I would be voting between the lesser of two evils.
" When I talk to people who did vote, very few were positive about the experience.
Their replies were interesting though, I would hear, "Because it's my right and my obligation"; "because I wanted to try and make a difference, even though I know it won't"; "I want to be involved.
" What I'm beginning to see from one end of the country to the other as I travel, is the amount of frustration and underlying anger in people when they talk about their government.
Have you ever said anything like these comments about voting when talking about the government on any level? Are you someone that is feeling a sense of frustration with the whole process, to the point of not really caring? If you answered yes to those questions; you are apathetic.
Have you ever wondered why the poll takers don't ask real questions? Is it because they don't want real answers? Or do they want planned outcomes? I've received calls from poll takers and they will ask a question that shouldn't be answered with a yes or no, but if I wanted to participate in the poll, I had to make a choice.
Answer the question with a yes or no, or hang up.
But when you are investigating something that is as important to our wants and feelings concerning our governing - as some of the polls can be, is that the right way to ask the question? Probably not; in my trek of thought and discussion I found that "apathy" is a condition that is brought on by a feeling of helplessness.
The more helpless you feel, the more frustration you feel, the more apathetic you become.
When you feel you have no control over the things that affect you, your family or your ability to earn a living or earn the living you know you could earn - then the anger you feel becomes a problem.
It will literally affect every area of your life, as you think, why should I vote or participate? Anything I do or try to do won't make a difference! You know from speaking with others around you that they feel the same way.
Most people are as apathetic as you.
The Theory Okay, let's get down to this theory I have about apathy.
As I began to look at the polls (as skewed as I think most are), and found some do voice in overwhelming numbers what we Americans are feeling.
Then I read statistics about the large number of calls or emails our representatives are receiving on certain "hot button" issues, but I see our representatives doing the opposite of what the citizenry is voicing.
It is as though they are truly deaf.
I have to ask the questions, "Why are they not listening to the voice of the people? Aren't they there to represent us, we the people?" There are so many times I have seen this happen I have begun to see a pattern.
(Or am I becoming paranoid?) If there is a pattern, there has to be a reason the pattern exists.
If these officials are voted into office to represent us, why are they not representing us? While investigating this phenomenon I began to think, what if the representatives want us frustrated, what if they want us apathetic.
As to the reasons for this...
let me defer that part of the theory for just a minute.
I came across a 1965 psychological study by Martin Seligman and S.
F.
Meir based at the University of Pennsylvania called Learned Helplessness.
The book written concerning these studies is "Learned Helplessness: A Theory for the Age of Control, New York: Oxford University Press ISBN 0195044673.
What the researchers discovered was they can so frustrate their subjects when they tried to accomplish normal activities by blocking that activity at every turn that most of the subjects eventually gave up trying that activity.
In other words they became "APATHETIC".
The researchers were able, over a period of years, to prove this theory time and time again.
The one anomaly they found was this; approximately one third of the subjects they studied continued to find a way out or around the problem they were presented with no matter what.
This led the researchers to believe perhaps a segment of the population may be genetically predisposed to optimism.
Isn't that interesting? So knowing this, would it be so hard to make the leap to see a leader or group of leaders becoming so arrogant and drunk with power that they would turn a blind-eye and a deaf-ear to their constituency, to do nothing more as to frustrate their constituency into apathetic submission? It seems unlikely doesn't it? So why would your representatives collectively want you apathetic? The theory continues like this; the more apathetic you are, the less involved in what's happening.
If you are not involved, you become ignorant (not stupid, just uneducated) about any issue.
If you are ignorant, the natural response is to follow the leader.
When we follow the leader through ignorance we ascribe more power to that leader or representative than what they are due.
Thus they have more latitude to move unhindered, and unchecked.
The old adage of "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is correct.
Why else do they continue to pass laws they don't even read, and then exempt themselves from those laws, and fight over the most trivial conflict? They are forever continually pointing fingers at someone else and never accept blame for their actions or the actions of the Congress they have worked in.
When a big issue comes along like, "Illegal Immigration" and the American people have more than voiced their opinion time and time again, screaming at their televisions sets and radios for years, the politicians are turning a deaf ear once again.
WHY? If they can get you to become so frustrated you can't stand it any longer, they know, you will give up, shut up and walk away saying, "it doesn't do any good, I'm just one person.
" They know you will give up rather than continue to fight because fighting is unpleasant and hard.
So, once again they have won the game of PLANNED INDUCED APATHY.
(read story below) What if this isn't collusion? Let me use the following analogy.
Most of us know or have known a woman who has been abused by her husband.
The woman is told and shown through her abuser by physical abuse that she can do nothing apart from him.
Every time she tries to make things better (trying to find away around her problem) he's there to smack her down physically and/or mentally frustrating every move she makes to make things better in her family to fulfill his warped view of control.
After so much of this abuse she becomes apathetic, subject to whatever whim her abuser wants.
She goes along to get along, and learns to function within the ever changing boundaries he has set.
If she ever gets to the point of escaping his rant and threats of further retribution grow even worse.
My point is this; the abuser's control isn't so much a planned thing.
He doesn't set down and plan I'm going to be abusive so I can whip my wife into submission.
No I believe this action stems from an injured psychological view point of life, but the outcome is the same.
Even if our leader's intent isn't a planned coup d'état on our psyche, the resulting apathy is the end sum.
So, what is the answer? The answer lies within you.
- First, you become aware of what is happening to you and to your fellow citizens.
- Secondly, becoming so angry you are determined to see real change.
- Third, seeing change through to its conclusion.
Remember, it is the problem you want to fix that drove you to apathy in the first place.
We give up too early, because the road seems really hard and the problems insurmountable.
My view is that the problems only seem insurmountable because that is what you've been programmed to see.
Like the abused woman who's abuser make's them feel they can't do anything apart from the abuser, thus programming "perceived helplessness and apathy.
" What needs to happen? Some of the change that needs to take place is you and I becoming more involved.
Turning off American Idol or Grey's Anatomy (well at least recording it so you can watch later) and attending your school board meeting, the monthly City Council or Planning and Zoning meetings.
Finding ways to become more knowledgeable about today's events and issues and forming your opinion and voicing that opinion to your leaders.
Without being ashamed or beaten back by their silence or ridicule.
For example, One day in a Chamber of Commerce meeting I confronted then Senator John Danforth about the IRS never balancing their own books or the Congress' lack to balance the budget and how if that were business we would be forced to lay-off workers and disciplinary actions would follow and we would be forced to get a hold of the problem.
My question was then followed by the applause of the audience (showing agreement).
Right off the bat Danforth stated I shouldn't be listening so much to talk radio and how laying off good people in the government wasn't going to solve our problems.
That was it, my answer.
Then he thanked the Chamber for inviting him to the lunch and closed the Q and A even though I was still standing.
I should have demanded a real answer to my question, now that I look back at the whole situation, but I thought I would be embarrassed by pressing a guest.
I have been in management and a business owner for many years and if I had received an answer like that from a subordinate (which he was in reality) I would have fired them on the spot.
I should have never backed down, and I won't in the future, and neither should you.
Next, I really think we are at the point for the whole country to "voting the bums out.
" I think there should be an immense movement across the country to clean the entire Congress.
Now, when you start talking this way, listen to what the good leaders of the day say.
"Well, if you vote me out, the other areas of the country won't and the way we've set up the Congress is on seniority, not merit, so your new representative will be starting from scratch and we won't get the good programs (as much pork) back to our precinct.
" Compare that to the abuser and his wife...
sound familiar? DO NOT LET THEM FOOL YOU! We need leaders that take real responsibility, that won't run from the problems of the day because it is not expedient to a political career.
We need to take back the incentive to get into Congress and stay there forever, by removing retroactively much of their over burdening and grossly inflated retirement plans.
We need to make sure they are working I mean actually working, reading bills all the way through and knowing what is inside each bill and subjecting themselves to the same law they are willing to pass onto us.
We want representatives that are there to work in behalf of the country and not their party or their career.
We want to be ruled by law not by government.
We need a way to revoke a setting judge if they become activist or derelict of duty.
Although we are a Republic which is ruled by law to protect the little guy or small groups, fringe groups need to be checked.
If we cannot get back to the basics this great country of ours was founded on, and the frustration level of the people keep rising, we will see sometime in the future demonstrations of violence not demonstrations of peace as they should be.
We will be like those in other countries that cannot respect the belief or thoughts of our follow citizens because they are just too abused to take it anymore.
So whose fault will this be? Believe me when I tell you, "The fish stinks from the head down.
"
Source...