Propaganda Hashtag Deconstruction: Stack 3- #Motivation

CATEGORY: #MOTIVATION

This is the third category to consider when attempting to identify coercion and possibly flag-up Fake News when using the #PropagandaWatchdogProtocol (or #PWProtocol if space restricted).

You will need to examine the communication in question and ask yourself which #Motivation it is addressing and in which way.

Sometimes you may find more than one #Motivation is addressed in the same communication. Each #Motivation term, is outlined below, but can be researched in greater detail for extra understanding.

When you think you have identified the #Motivation, for example in coercive propaganda in a product that identifies itself as anti-establishment falsely through branding, when it is actually controlled by big business, would falsely be trying to fulfill the #RiskMastery #Motivation.

A news article trying to persuade you to follow a particular way of thinking just because they say everyone else is, when closer scrutiny would inform you that they are wrong, would falsely be appealing to your #BelongingPeople #Motivation.

A Social Media ‘meme’ which tries to persuade you into a belief system by characterising a ‘group’ as a ‘victim’, when in fact the group has achieved emancipation decades ago, maybe falsely trying to appeal to your #Motivation for #IndependenceActualisation.

An advert which exaggerates, for example, possible online dangers to sell you expensive, premium, security software when a free alternative is readily available, which is just as good is #StabilityControl .

The above has served as a visible example, but there are many examples of propaganda using #Motivation, which are not coercive, but informative.

The difference being they are ‘open’ about their aims and objectives thus making them #WhitePropaganda (propaganda which reveals its source and motivation), as opposed to #BlackPropaganda.

The reason #Motivation is third, so near the top of the Stack of terms that we are using to identify coercion, is that they are the most fundamental and personal, biologically hard-wired component of human consciousness, serving as the ‘operating system’ upon which our other ‘programmes’ run, and thus virtually all propaganda draws on at least one of the #Motivations below – although we would be interested to learn of any propaganda that appears not to adhere to this standard.

Learning Tip: Find an example of each #Motivation hashtag below, from any source, and publish a link to the piece, amended with the appropriate hashtag, on any/your preferred Social Media platform(s). Be sure to use the hashtag #possuseof to indicate that the source is ‘possibly using’ the #Motivation you have identified and thus avoiding making cast-iron (and possibly defamatory) assertions. Also, you may want to use the #PropagandaWatchdog hashtag as well as any comments or observations regarding how you believe the communication is trying to make you e.g. ‘behave’.

#MOTIVATION CONTENTS:

In addition, we would be interested to learn of any censorship, shadowbanning etc. of any #PropagandaWatchdog influenced material in any form published by anyone else, as merely for equipping people with the tools to identify Fake News and propaganda by providing this solution which teaches people to identify coercion for themselves rather than relying on ‘fact-checkers’ who dictate #AssertionsFromAuthority stating ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or ‘True’ or ‘False’. We have been censored by YouTube, delisted by Google, had domains stolen by 123-reg, have been shadowbanned by Twitter, smeared on LinkedIn and stalked on Facebook, as well as being plagiarised by the BBC and being subjected to continual sabotage of our projects, thus appearing to prove that the assertions that the above people would like a solution to Fake News are themselves propaganda. A SOLUTION TO FAKE NEWS IS THE LAST THING THAT THEY WANT.

Anyway, back to #Motivation…

The next tier down in the hashtag stack, when using the Propaganda Watchdog Protocol to forensically identify potential coercion, is to examine whether ‘Motivational Theory’ may be present in the communication by examining how the communication may make us feel motivated.

In most communications you will be able to discern a human motivation drive.

#Motivation:

“[C]an be condensed into a focus on four major human drives positioned along two axes:”

Compass

#BelongingPeople

“In everyday human terms, this means that most of us want very much to be liked and to belong to a group…”

Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson, ‘The Hero and the Outlaw’

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versus

#IndependenceActualisation

“…At the same time, we also want to be individuals and go our own way. Both of these desires are deep and profound human urges, yet they pull us in opposite directions. The desire to belong makes us want to please others and conform, at least to some degree. The desire to individuate causes us to spend time alone and make decisions or act in ways that those close to us may not understand…”

Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson, ‘The Hero and the Outlaw’

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…so this is the polar opposite of:

#StabilityControl

“…Similarly, most people have a deep need for security and stability. Such desires are fulfilled by routine, comfort, and staying with the tried and true. We are responding to them when we buy insurance, stay in a job for the pension plan, or religiously take our vitamins…”

Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson, ‘The Hero and the Outlaw’

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…thus #IndependenceActualisation is eptomised by the extreme current which is manifest as:

#RiskMastery

“…Yet, however much people want safety, most also are energized by their ambition and the desire to exert mastery. If we want the exhilaration of accomplishment, we must take risks. So, motivated by the wish to leave a thumbprint on the world, we take a controversial stand, start a business, or try other new and risky ventures...

[…]

Life requires constant negotiation along these poles. When we sacrifice one end of one of these continue to the other end, there is a tendency in the psyche to seek balance. That’s one of the reasons some people experience midlife crises; they have gotten out of balance, and some part of them that has been suppressed…”

Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson, ‘The Hero and the Outlaw’

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All coercive communications will generally attempt to appeal to one of these ‘currents’ of behavioural #Motivations; thus understanding of these attempts to influence us will enable forensic deconstruction using the Propaganda Watchdog Protocol.