The Hidden Hand

What You Don't Notice Can Hurt You

For many years, I designed and installed art exhibits for large public spaces. While many people enjoyed the exhibits, most were unaware the exhibits even existed - at least consciously.

It didn’t bother me when people failed to notice the exhibit theme or details of the artist’s materials. In fact, I didn’t mind when they missed the art altogether because I understood that they were still being affected by it - unconsciously.

It affected their mood.

Betty LaDuke’s Work

Placemaking

The theory of creating a mood in a space using art, color, texture, sound and even scent is called Placemaking and, most of the time, the elements of placemaking go unnoticed.

The details, when combined, are “felt” unconsciously more than they are noticed consciously. The effect, when done well, is that the people inhabiting the space feel calm, happy, invigorated, attentive… choose your mood.

Designers choose the feeling they want to evoke and then use subtle details to produce that vibe. Maybe it’s hunger in a food court; serenity at a spa; excitement at a sports event.

It’s happening all around you, all the time, I promise.

Basically, it’s psychological manipulation. I’m pretty good at it; fortunately, I’m not evil and have always used my “special powers” for good.

In my particular case, I used Placemaking to help people feel calm in stressful environments.

Perspective

For the longest time, I didn’t even know that I had a special power. I thought everyone noticed this stuff.

Creating a mood has always come naturally to me and I took it for granted. I discovered, however - after 50+ years of assuming that other people thought like I did - that my brain is different. I’m what’s referred to as a “high-functioning autistic” and “highly sensitive”. Turns out, my particular brain makes me very good at noticing things that most other people do not notice.

Sometimes it’s a bonus; sometimes it’s annoying. I often point out things that other people don’t see and don’t want to see, which can make certain people uncomfortable.

An Example

Did anyone else notice how images of the attempted assassination of Trump were oddly reminiscent of the famous Iwo Jima Raising the Flag statue?

The similarity caught me right away but I had to dig up some images of the statue to be sure.

What do you think? Or, perhaps it’s more apropos to ask, “What do you feel?”

Of course, the event couldn’t precisely mimic the statue or it would be too obvious and, inconveniently, someone like me would point it out!

It had to be close enough but not too on-the-nose to be believable - just familiar enough that you feel drawn to the image without realizing why.

Unconsciously.

I’m not saying the attempt itself was staged. I have no idea. I’m merely speculating and noticing things, like I do.

Superimposing Heroics

The WWII soldiers depicted in the Raising the Flag statue are held in high regard in our culture. They’re unquestioningly brave and heroic (that’s the idea, anyway). When you see someone else posing in that same position, you unconsciously imbue that person with similar traits.

The effect is amplified when the event holds a high emotional charge, like an assassination attempt. The images are effectively “burned onto your brain.”

That’s Psychological Manipulation, folks.

We fall for this every day. When someone wears a white lab coat, they’re suddenly an expert. We trust them. A badge has the same effect.

These symbols are tied to ideas we have about our culture that we rarely, if ever, stop to question. We adopt lenses through which we view the world: bad guys wear black; good guys wear white, and so on.

We humans are very simplistic. We like If/Then equations.

If Raising the Flag statue = Bravery, then Trump posed as statue = Bravery. The soldiers’ bravery has been effectively superimposed onto Trump.

Do you see it yet?

We each see the world through our own perspectives - through the filter of our own experience and beliefs. While objective truth does exist, it’s a challenge for anyone to see the world as it is without looking through the lens of our personal filters.

We don’t see the world as it is; we see the world as we are.

Me

Smith-Mundt

Naturally, I see events through my own filters and experiences. It just so happens my experience includes knowing about the Smith-Mundt Modification Act of 2012.

If you don’t already know about it, I’m about to change the way you look at things forever. Brace yourself.

The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 amended the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to authorize the Secretary of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors to propagandize you.

Where once, prior to 2012, this Act had provided funds and authorization to propagandize peoples outside the United States, the 2012 Modernization Act revised the target audience to include those peoples residing within the United States.

Like I said, you.

It authorizes “press, publications, radio, motion pictures, the Internet, and other information media, including social media, and through information centers and instructors” to spread propaganda (otherwise known as lies) with no repercussions, because it’s 100% legal for them to do so.

Now, put on your critical thinking cap and ask yourself, “Why would they amend this act if they had no plans to ever propagandize us?”

They wouldn’t.

Connect the Dots

Consider the many “events” which have occurred since 2012 and then examine the actions and executive orders immediately called for after those events (like gun control, for instance).

Careful - you might begin noticing some things. Some inconvenient things…

For instance, prior to 2012 there were very few (if any) of these “mass blahblahblahs…” Let’s just call them Events so I don’t get sued.

This is how propaganda works: Create an horrific event which evokes strong emotion. Next, public outrage will demand the government “Do something!” and, finally, the government “does something” - the thing they have been planning to do all along.

Problem, Reaction, Solution.

When emotions are running high, it can feel sacrilegious to question tragic events, but that’s precisely the moment you need to keep your head on straight and maintain a critical eye. Don’t be swayed by emotion. Psychological manipulation depends upon you not being able to contain your emotion.

Don’t be that patsy.

Hindsight is 20/20

Take a look back and consider the events which many unpopular researchers have called foul upon, noting the many discrepancies and coincidences of these “events”. There are many to chose from. Don’t be shy. It’s still legal to do research (mostly).

Now, consider that the government has authorized itself to lie to you, legally. Begin to examine events through that new lens.

Ask yourself, “Who benefited?”

Sometimes it takes awhile to know who benefited. Most times that information only emerges long after everyone has stopped paying attention and has moved onto the next thing.

In fact, event coordinators rely on you clinging to the event hamster wheel. If you’re forever chasing the next news story, you’ll never fully digest the one in front of you.

Conveniently, people miss a lot that way.

Most people.

If you want to join me in noticing, simply step off the hamster wheel. I promise, you won’t miss anything.

Choose an event - any event - and simply start digging. Ignore all the other events swirling around your head and focus on just ONE event. Eventually, patterns will emerge.

Notice the “color of the day” that keeps appearing in event photos. Really, who wears magenta, anyway? Notice the left-behind shoes (usually Nikes) in media images. Notice the micro-expressions of duper’s delight running uncontrollably across the faces of witnesses during interviews. They’re just so happy (in the midst of tragedy) to be on T.V.!

Pick out one person in a crowd and watch that person closely. Aerial shots are best. Does that person’s behavior make any sense? Does it seem natural? Are they just walking in circles? Everyone has a phone now - where did all that footage go?

Let me know what you notice. I’m curious.

But be forewarned: Once you see this stuff, you can never un-see it.