As society becomes more complex and opaque, as social processes seem more impersonal and autonomous, and as elites of 'experts' become more annoying, more people are tempted to think that some 'they' is manipulating 'us', using, among other dark arts, advertising.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the growing mistrust in society as individuals perceive manipulation by powerful elites through impersonal methods like advertising.
George Will's quote reflects a societal concern where increasing complexity and the impersonality of social processes lead to a sense of alienation. As people navigate a world where experts and elites seem to control narratives and influence public opinion, a pervasive feeling arises that there is an unseen force, often encapsulated as 'they', manipulating the masses. This sentiment points to a broader skepticism about transparency and authenticity in modern communication, particularly concerning the role of advertising in shaping perceptions and behaviors.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about media influence during a marketing seminar.
The problem with intelligent-design theory, is not that it is false but that it is not falsifiable. Not being susceptible to contradicting evidence, it is not a testable hypothesis. Hence it is not a scientific but a creedal tenet - a matter of faith, unsuited to a public school's science curriculum.
The cultivation - even celebration - of victimhood by intellectuals, tort lawyers, politicians and the media is both cause and effect of today's culture of complaint.
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Constitutional arguments that seem as dry as dust can have momentous consequences.
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Actually, there is only one first question of government, and it is How should we live? or What kind of people do we want our citizens to be?
This thing comes to me, not by the hearing of the ear, but by my own personal experience: I know of a surety that Jesus manifests Himself unto His people as He doth not unto the world.
It's very easy for trusted companies to mislead naive customers, and life insurance companies are trusted.
A conservative, I take it, is a man who despises vulgarity; but the argument which is concerned exclusively with calculations of success, and is based on blindness to the nobility of the effort, is vulgar.
Religion is never going to go away, and anyone who thinks it will doesn't understand what religion is. It is a language to describe the experience of human nature, so for as long as people struggle to describe what it means to be alive, it will be a ready-made language to express those feelings.
I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.
We judge people in areas where we're vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we're doing.
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