In recent years, the subject of social engineering, which can be defined as the involuntary manipulation of people into actions and views that conform to the will of the manipulator, has become a hot topic of discussion. It has been this way for ages, but now we have become aware of it. It is a terrible thing that people do to one another, but once we know it exists, we at least know how easily we can be fooled, that truth is a matter of perspective, and that our perspective depends on who is better at manipulating us.
Social engineering is everywhere—in news stories that show only one perspective, in newspapers that twist stories to show the opposite of what actually happened, in pictures taken in one setting and whose caption says something entirely different, in bogus studies funded by corporations or shareholders who dictate their “scientific” findings, in “quotes” from anonymous sources that cannot be verified, yet give us the “information” that the social engineer wants to convey, and in countless other ways.
Previously, rulers and governments used soldiers, secret services, and police to strengthen their grip on the public. Today, they rule by manipulating the public into believing what they want them to believe.
But we cannot blame governments or rulers for being so manipulative. We ourselves want to be manipulated. No one wants to know the truth, and as in any market, no one will sell a product if there is no demand for it. Moreover, if you tell people a lie that they like to hear and label it “truth,” it will find many buyers
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At present, what our egos like, they regard as truth. It is as if all of reality is in front of me, but my whole attention is on a box that is in front of me. I do not see the reality around me, but only the box.
The box is my ego, and it projects to me only what pleases my ego. As a result, I think that this is reality, since I am only focused on the box and cannot see the actual reality.
Meanwhile, those who manipulate the boxes that depict our reality do whatever they want. They feel no need to hide their vices because corruption gives them fame, and thanks to social engineering they can get away with anything. There is no escape unless we free ourselves from the grip of the box, our ego, which determines our perception.
There is only one way to break free from the box: adopt an opposite mode of work. Instead of focusing on what we can receive from everything we come in contact with, we should focus on what we can give.
Only when we focus on giving rather than receiving can we experience true freedom—freedom from the ego. When we are free from the ego, we will judge everything by its true nature. If enough people adopt this mindset, our entire reality will change and we will not have to constantly fight to impose our point of view on everyone.
When there is war, everyone loses. But when people try to support and help one another, everyone wins. Our task today is to make as many people as possible aware of this simple truth. When enough people understand it, they will work together to create a new reality where everyone is cared for and no one is manipulated.