Society and I

             Through Adam Curtis and Sigmund Freud’s views on civilisation we see that humans are unable to care for themselves. After watching Century of the Self I came to realize that we, the masses, no longer think individually. We think as a whole. We may view each other as different, or even view ourselves as unique, but what makes us unique? The clothes we buy, the food we eat, or maybe even who we hang out with? But these factors only guide us into becoming part of the masses.

            The clothes we buy drive the masses closer to becoming one. We have similar styles to those around us, and that dictates what will be sold. When companies and corporations understand what the mass demands, they supply us with our demands. For example, when UGG Boots came out, every girl needed to have them. However, now there are cheap knock offs sold in almost any store. Even as winter begins to settle in, students on campus will be seen wearing trench coats. The fact that this is so predictable should give the masses an incline to step away from becoming uniform. Sadly, the fact is that humans like to think they know everything, paraphrasing Socrates; poets may write, but they may have no understanding of their work. 

            The food we eat, although it may not seem like it, plays a key role in society. From places where we hang-out, to dates, or even just grabbing a bite to eat, we choose these places because of the advertisements embedded in our brains. We choose to go to Macdonalds when we’re hungry because it is fast, consistent and convenient. However, we may go to Chop or Moxies for a date, because of the ambiance. If no one wants to leave the house, take-out is available too. And no longer does take-out pertain to just pizza, but nowadays take-out applies to many other companies. 

            Those that we hang out with have the greatest influence on how we live our lives. For example, if a friend were to be interested in clothes, odds are you would be too. We are not as unique as we would like to think we are, nor are we smart enough to tackle the world by ourselves. Freud suggests that in a civilization in order to promote uniformity individuals must sacrifice some personal happiness. Freud believed that if we were to embrace our true impulses we would lose control of ourselves. 

            Individuals of society have fallen towards the masses. We no longer have the ability to separate our lives from those around us. Sigmund Freud and Edward Bernays played a key role in this movement, but through this they formed a uniform society. I would like to believe that humans have the ability to take care of themselves, but after seeing Century of the Self and how easily we could be manipulated it is hard to believe.