HEROINE FERNANDEZ (2022-11638) CMA 153

"The Century of the Self" is a documentary by Adam Curtis that explores how persuasion, attitude, and
behavior were used as catalysts of civilizations. Through a historical lens, Curtis explores how the advent of
psychoanalysis and the rise of consumerism shaped modern society. It exposes us to significant people like
Sigmund Freud and his nephew Edward Bernays, who used psychology to manipulate public opinion and
perpetuate consumerism. Additionally, the 1960s counterculture movements are explored in the series, how they
challenged traditional norms and propagated the ideals of public mass liberation. It also clarifies the growth of
political consultants and the use of psychological strategies in political campaign strategy.
Various significant points were tackled in the whole documentary, but what caught me the most was the
concept of "Torches of Freedom," where women were persuaded to smoke. It is a borderline persuasion since,
based on the experiment of Dr. Abrill, he found out that the perceptions of 20th-century women that cigars
equate to penises and male power. With that, they came up with the idea of challenging the concept of male
power, and unconsciously, women are already persuading themselves to use cigars because they feel more
independent and powerful and level their superiority complex to men. Bernays's successful promotion of
smoking as a symbol of women's liberation is a poignant example of persuasion's potential to shape public
opinion. This demonstrates that persuasion is about conveying information and appealing to deeper
psychological needs and desires. Bernay made them socially acceptable with a single symbolic act and, at the
same time, capitalized it. Hence, persuading people to behave irrationally is possible if you link products to
their emotional desires and feelings. It also unveiled how consumerism and desire culture are the root of today's
generation: "Ay bilhin ko ito kasi deserve ko." People are trained to want new things, even if their old ones are
not fully consumed. It's not the idea of needing a new piece of clothing, but the feeling after you buy a piece of
clothing; it's therapeutic. Also, this is the origin of how they connect the consumer's emotional aspects to a
product or service that improves a person, how they mastered capitalizing by penetrating one's belief and
changing their attitudes. Thus, as mentioned in the documentary, we developed a culture that a man's desire
must overshadow his needs. Another point to be considered is the nexus between the psychoanalytic method of
Anna Freud and the study of behavior, attitude, and persuasion. She thought unconscious desires could be
understood and controlled through psychoanalysis. As it works to influence people to adopt socially accepted
standards and values, this control can also be a persuasion technique. Her method of behavior regulation focuses
on influencing people's behavior through the socio-cultural environment. She attempted to mold people's
attitudes toward these norms by developing a sense of compliance and commitment to societal norms from an
early age. According to this theory, attitudes can be created and shaped by environmental and societal factors
rather than purely intrinsic.
Episode 3 illustrates the intricate connection between persuasion, attitudes, and behaviors by examining
the 1960s counterculture movement. It demonstrates how persuasive strategies were utilized to adapt this
movement and turn it into consumerism. As people were convinced to prioritize purchasing, this change in
views from challenging cultural norms to embracing consumerism directly impacted behaviors. The story also
demonstrates how political authorities used persuasion techniques to influence people's opinions and behaviors,
as shown by the administration's underground measures against political dissidents. As Perfloff said,
"Persuasion harnessed in the service of social change." This is also a rough manifestation of the notion noted
by Richard Perloff that "Persuasion is a symbolic process" and compliments the idea that the act of persuasion
can drive social change. "There is a policeman inside all of our heads, and our internalized vision of this
policeman is based upon our environment and how it affects us because the policeman represents the state and
its laws. Also, another voice should be deep inside your head that says, live and learn by experience, not by
blindly following someone else's biased philosophy".
The last episode, "Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering," focused more on leaning into an
individualistic perspective, prioritizing personal interest. This is how the big companies try to manipulate and
use our weaknesses to make money. They make us want the things we never knew we needed. This showcases
the power of persuasion in shaping consumer behavior since machines produce what people want, people buy,
and companies gain. The episode mentions the idea of "public relations democracy," in which decision-makers
prefer to manage public opinion to deal with important issues. Curtis demonstrates how this strategy was
applied to uphold the status quo and safeguard the interests of wealthy elites.
On a personal note, I commend Curtis' thought-provoking documentary covering a wide array of how
persuasion, behaviors, and attitudes are intertwined in a sense that brings more drama and emphasis to the class
readings. Further, it provided helpful examples of different sectors and perspectives of the society. Nonetheless,
I would like to see Filipino views on how the Filipino capitalist and politicians abuse their power to get control
over the Philippine economy. How persuasion manipulated Filipino mindsets that they needed white skin to be
labeled as "beautiful," and how the early corrupt politicians had their strategy to brainwash, coerce, and
influence the people to vote and to trust them to lead the government. However, I admire the Western
perspective in understanding the significance of persuasion. Still, I think it will be more intriguing when we can
unpack Persuasion, Attitude, and Behavior in a Filipino context.
 REFERENCE

Lessig, D. (2015). The Century of the Self (Full Documentary). In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=eJ3RzGoQC4s