"Brainwashing"...

[The Riddler]

Saw this vid and could only applaud it. I see a lot of people who love to apply this "you've only been brainwashed" argument - particularly when it comes to belief systems or points of view that they dislike and/or hold in contempt. It has been my experience that people who make such arguments are only seeking to engage in their own form of brainwashing by applying peer pressure.

Regardless, this young chap has a good head on his shoulders and translated his response quite properly into free verse. Good on him. As he would say, when your parents teach you good values it isn't brainwashing - it's teaching. From the way society is devolving into Culture Rot these days, we could do with a lot more "teaching" and a lot less of whatever crap the guy who accused him of being "brainwashed' had crammed in his head.

[Sunseeker]

Isn't it interesting that you are essentially contradicting you own argument. That the people who disagree with you and this kid have heads that are filled with "crap".

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Define brainwashed.

[Spectral]

I find it hard to believe that this thread won't devolve into lots o' religion talk, given the original clip, but I've got to say, that kid's friends are correct - he's absolutely delusional if he believes that his beliefs were arrived at through any sort of careful thought, exercise of logic, or reason. Yes, he's also been taught some nice things, but he's freely bought into all sorts of nonsense as well, which is plainly what those friends are referring to.

[Dendrek]

It's "teaching" if what you're taught is "good" and "brainwashing" if what you're taught is "bad". It's just words used to label tautologies. The fact is that we are taught/brainwashed by practically every thing we experience, especially when we're young. And the issue, regardless of our political, social or religious stance, is when we are unable to self-reflect or empathize with others. That's when we (and those who brainwashed us) are doing it wrong.

Believe what you like. Have faith in defiance of evidence if you wish. But don't mistake belief for truth, and don't turn false truths into policy or discrimination that negatively affects others.

[edited for grammar]

[Underverse]

Brainwashing hmmm...well if you define brainwashing as leading someone to believe something that is not objectively true, then you can separate teaching from brainwashing.

[vizzle]

I don't want to get into the main topic of this thread because it seems like an old and tired discussion on both sides, I just want to point out that I really don't like this kind of "Poetry Slam" stuff that sounds neither like poetry or a real slam, just a long rant with a bit of a beat every few lines. I saw Watsky's poetry slams back when he was younger and that guy was always amazing. Kids need to step up their game if they do this.

[Prokne]

I consider brainwashing to be when someone wipes out what you believe and replaces it with what they want you to think. Like when POWs make statements against their own countries and for their captors, or when a kid goes to a summer camp and comes back liking death metal when they previously like R&B. So technically kids arent being brainwashed when they are first learning who they are, it can only happen when they have already formed their personality, so if someone always behaved and thought one way they are not brainwashed.

The word brainwash means that the mind has been cleaned out so that something else can be put in. If there was nothing there in the first place, it doesnt need to be washed.

[Molestron]

Define brainwashed.

Brainwashing is when a person is taught something and then utterly refuses to accept any other different opinion on the matter, even if that opinion is based upon logic and clear proof.
Fanaticism is the most obvious form of brainwashing.

[Tastyfish]

Isn't it interesting that you are essentially contradicting you own argument. That the people who disagree with you and this kid have heads that are filled with "crap".

Which is actually a type of brainwashing ^_^

- - - Updated - - -

I consider brainwashing to be when someone wipes out what you believe and replaces it with what they want you to think. Like when POWs make statements against their own countries and for their captors, or when a kid goes to a summer camp and comes back liking death metal when they previously like R&B. So technically kids arent being brainwashed when they are first learning who they are, it can only happen when they have already formed their personality, so if someone always behaved and thought one way they are not brainwashed.

The word brainwash means that the mind has been cleaned out so that something else can be put in. If there was nothing there in the first place, it doesnt need to be washed.

That is reconditioning more then the type of brainwashing implied here.

Edit: Its the Riddler.. Key words are Parents + Teaching Good Values + Culture Rot AKA he's mad at ACA, Non Christian morals or Gay marriage. ^_^ Or you can take your pick at anything you might here Beck talk about. LOL

[Blur4stuff]

definitions of brainwashing vary. what most of them have in common is the act of forcing someone to believe something. in most cases that something is not true or a distortion of truth at least.

if you explain to your kid why the sky looks blue that would count as teaching. if you force them to believe in a religion that's entirely different. you can argue that your religion is true, but even then you'd have to admit that every other parent in different religions are brainwashing their children.

teaching good values is fine. if you want to teach your kids not to stab people or steal things then fine. but, religion isn't a good basis for values teaching. most of them are full of horrible standards.

[Muezick]

"2 + 2 = 4" Teaching

"God is real" Brain washing

Are we done here?



(assume both are told to people who conceivably had not been exposed to either statement prior to being told them, be they young children, or who ever.)

[Powerogue]

I suppose some people like labeling it brainwashing if it's something you just accept without adequate evidence, but really, that'll happen no matter what you tell us during childhood. Some fat dude is going to give me presents in a few weeks if I shut my face? Sure, I can do that.

Unless you teach your children to not be blindly receptive to teaching, in which case they'll rebel against you and not listen to a word you say. Either way they're being molded.

[Garnier Fructis]

But - of course - I fully expect extreme leftists to defend Democrat misogyny. When people are mental slaves and thralls to propoganda from a bunch of bigots, the natural tendency of the simple and the brainwashed is to defend that bigotry.

Being "the law of the land" only matters to these folks when people are OPPOSING them. In short, the phrase is nothing but political jingoism parroted by brainwashed, biased drone puppets who lack intellectual honesty.

It has been my experience that people who make such arguments are only seeking to engage in their own form of brainwashing by applying peer pressure.

Did you just accuse yourself?

[TEHPALLYTANK]

I wash my brain twice a week, though I suppose I could wash it three times a week...

[xChurch]

Perhaps brainwashing is the wrong word, would indoctrination work better?

[Muezick]

I suppose some people like labeling it brainwashing if it's something you just accept without adequate evidence, but really, that'll happen no matter what you tell us during childhood. Some fat dude is going to give me presents in a few weeks if I shut my face? Sure, I can do that.

Unless you teach your children to not be blindly receptive to teaching, in which case they'll rebel against you and not listen to a word you say. Either way they're being molded.

Your example is a bad example because Santa Clause is also brainwashing.


I ... and I would wager most people here, do not have a proper solution to how we should raise children, but I do know this. What is commonly accepted is very wrong. There has to be a better way. Humanity has defined itself on the premise of breaking rules in the name of improvement. Eventually, the education system will wake up and people will start doing it right.

What's right? I don't know. I wish I did, because I'd be rich. But there has to be a better way

[Tastyfish]

Perhaps brainwashing is the wrong word, would indoctrination work better?

Maybe A con job... lol

[xChurch]

Your example is a bad example because Santa Clause is also brainwashing.


I ... and I would wager most people here, do not have a proper solution to how we should raise children, but I do know this. What is commonly accepted is very wrong. There has to be a better way. Humanity has defined itself on the premise of breaking rules in the name of improvement. Eventually, the education system will wake up and people will start doing it right.

What's right? I don't know. I wish I did, because I'd be rich. But there has to be a better way

The best thing you can do is not teach your kids what to think, but rather how to think.

[Shamanberry]

You have to be careful not to let yourself fall into the trap of thinking of teaching anything you don't agree with as "brainwashing".

What separates brainwashing from teaching is going out of your way to ensure that any possibility of developing an opposing view is eliminated. An example would be punishing your child for reading a book about Ronald Reagan because you don't want them exposed to the possibility that a conservative political viewpoint could be a positive thing, or not allowing your child to be friends with a Jewish kid because you want to keep them in your southern baptist bubble and only hear about that specific interpretation of religion.

Now, do some religious parents do that sort of thing? Yes. But it's important to point out it would be equally brainwashing if someone were to prevent their children from hanging out with a Jewish kid because they want to be sure the kid grows up as an atheist.