Are you a product of the system?

Question

Advertising, Marketing, News, Religion... its everywhere. Have you been brain washed by the above to become a product of "The System"?

Please... do tell with a reason.

Answer 1

Whoever is a product of this System won't know it!

Answer 2

Unless you live in a cave in some remote mountain region, we are all products of the system. We are products of the system as are parents were before us. That, alone, makes us at least system by-products.

The fact that you have a computer and access the Internet means that marketing has gotten to you, and continues to reach you on a daily basis. Whether being manipulated to buy a product, to vote, to not vote, etc. the propaganda is an endless river flowing over you. If you stand in the middle of the river, there is no way the river will not have an effect on you. Whether you decide to dive in and swim up and down, you are still going to get wet.

Deciding to not be part of the system, avoiding all of the advertising, political hype, merchandising trickery, the system has already effected you. But, there is a way to help mitigate the damaging effects, several that have been touched upon by previous posters.

Think for yourself. Don't make important decisions based upon information that you haven't dug up and verified yourself. Do not take my word for it, check it out. Don't let anyone tell you what to believe. Don't tell anyone how they should believe, you aren't going to change their mind anyway.

Bottom line, we are all consumers, and to some degree have fallen prey to consumerism. We are all constantly bombarded with "information: designed to enhance the attractiveness of some product to help someone else make money. There is not a single person who sells a product at loss for your benefit. No industry will make a product without a significant product margin. The is no free lunch.

Answer 3

Im not a product of the system although I buy products from the system to stay alive. I consider myself very aware and conscience of those things. Im not the type to eat mainstream corporate chain restaurant food (Im a vegan by the way). There are certain things people depend on, like for example food, water, shelter, and property. And the only place you can get them is from the corporations, which I call theft. If you know of a place where I can get those for free I would certainly move there in a split second. I believe anarchism can be attained in oneself rather than a society. I dont believe people should put rules on other people so that excludes religion from me. News is also corporate owned so I dont really pay attention to that considering they do what their told to do, plus Its not controlled by the public and they always tell you what happens but dont tell you why it happens, remember 9/11. And the public still doesent know why 9/11 happened. People are just satisfied letting other people do the thinking for them and if its terrorist that did it well then we certainly dont need to know why the terrorist did it. Lets just leave it as," Iraq is to blame," and move on with our American lives. I personally dont believe in America becuase the soil I pick up from the ground isnt America, Its earth. Now for marketing and advertising wich both share common interests. I dont ware clothing with any labels on it, although I have to confess I wear capitalist made clothing from other countries. This concludes me to say No im not brainwashed from the system.

Answer 4

We all are and aren't to a degree.

I don't follow a religion or any other 'group' to much of a degree; my political philosophy is roughly libertarian, and I know how to watch news for the slant.

But for some reason, fast food has its claws in me. Don't know why that one got me, but I'm a total zombie Product of the System (tm) in that regard. It's a better vice than crack, I guess.

Answer 5

I don't think so, but if so, to a much lesser extent than most people. I'm an atheist who has developed a strong resistance to most advertising and marketing techniques.

Answer 6

Everyone is, and the ones who say they aren't and never were are the BEST examples!

Everything you interact with as you grow up impacts you, and helps mold you into what you are. Some people can change this as they get older..they see what they have become..reject it and work hard to change themselves. Some people are helpless...and never change.

Answer 7

No. I resist it as often as I can. I ignore advertisements, I am aware of "clever" marketing strategies, I won't watch news that repeats itself for its simple shock-and-numb value, and I have no religion.

Answer 8

I'm a product of the "system of a down".

Answer 9

I have spent 2 years now attempting to undo all that, but yes, we are all affected by it.

I took a Critical Thinking class, and that really helped me too.

Answer 10

Everyone is a product of the system even you if you don't think so. BB