The Influence of Edward Bernays and Freud's Theories on Mass Manipulation

A hundred years ago, Sigmund Freud introduced a new theory about human nature, highlighting primitive sexual and aggressive forces hidden deep inside the minds of all human beings. These forces, if left uncontrolled, could lead individuals and societies to chaos and destruction.

Edward Bernays, Freud's American nephew, played a significant role in the 20th century by being the first to apply Freud's ideas to manipulate the masses. He demonstrated to American corporations how to link mass-produced goods to people's unconscious desires, shaping a new political idea of controlling the masses by satisfying their inner selfish desires.

Freud's ideas on human psychology have become widely accepted in society, with psychoanalysis being a regular part of societal discourse. The annual psychotherapists' ball in Vienna symbolizes the integration of Freud's concepts into mainstream culture.

A hundred years ago, Viennese society, ruled by a powerful nobility, resisted Freud's ideas as they posed a threat to their absolute control. The notion of examining one's inner feelings was seen as challenging the established order and was not tolerated by the ruling elite.

Freud's psychoanalysis revealed the existence of powerful sexual and aggressive forces within all human beings, remnants of our animal past. These repressed feelings were considered dangerous and needed to be explored through psychoanalysis to prevent them from surfacing uncontrollably.

The outbreak of World War I in 1914 provided Freud with evidence that human behavior aligned with his psychoanalytic findings. Governments unleashing primitive forces in individuals during the war validated Freud's theories on the hidden instinctual drives within human beings.

During World War I, Edward Bernays, working as a press agent in America, witnessed the unfolding events that aligned with Freud's theories. Bernays utilized Freud's ideas to influence public opinion and shape narratives, showcasing the practical application of psychoanalytic concepts in real-world scenarios.

During World War I, the US government established a committee on public information. Edward Bernays was hired to promote America's war efforts in the press. President Woodrow Wilson declared that the US was fighting to bring democracy to Europe. Bernays effectively promoted this idea both domestically and internationally. He later accompanied President Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference in 1926.

Bernays was present at the Paris Peace Conference, where the goal was to make the world safe for democracy. American propaganda had portrayed Wilson as a liberator and hero, which astounded Bernays. Witnessing the power of mass persuasion, Bernays pondered the potential of using similar tactics during peacetime.

Upon returning to New York, Bernays established himself as a public relations counselor, coining the term for the first time since the late 19th century. In the rapidly industrializing American society, Bernays aimed to influence and shape the thoughts of the urban masses. He drew inspiration from the psychoanalytic theories of his uncle, Sigmund Freud.

Bernays delved into manipulating public perception by appealing to irrational emotions rather than relying solely on factual information. He conducted experiments to test his theories, including a notable campaign to encourage women to smoke by associating cigarettes with challenging male power. This innovative approach marked a departure from conventional methods of persuasion.

Edward Bernays' symbolic act of making smoking socially acceptable for women led to a significant increase in cigarette sales. By associating smoking with power and independence, he created the idea that smoking made women feel more powerful and independent, a notion that still persists today.

Bernays demonstrated that linking products to emotional desires and feelings could persuade people to behave irrationally. He believed that making women feel freer by smoking was an irrational but effective way to create an emotional connection to products, turning them into powerful symbols of self-image and identity.

Bernays pioneered the idea of emotional engagement in marketing by emphasizing that selling a product was not just about the intellect but about creating an emotional or personal connection. He believed that consumers would not just purchase something out of necessity but would feel better by emotionally engaging with the product or service.

Corporations post-World War I aimed to shift American culture from a needs-based to a desires-based consumer culture. They sought to train people to desire new things even before fully consuming the old. This shift was crucial to prevent overproduction and maintain consumer demand.

Wall Street banker Paul Mazur emphasized the necessity of shifting America from a needs to a desires culture. He believed that people should desire new things before fully consuming the old, creating a new mentality where desires overshadowed needs. This shift marked a departure from the previous focus on necessity-based consumption.

Edward Bernays played a pivotal role in transforming American consumer mentality by introducing psychological theory into corporate strategies. He emphasized the importance of appealing to the masses through understanding human motivation, paving the way for using Freudian techniques in marketing and sales.

Bernays developed innovative techniques of mass consumer persuasion, particularly in promoting products through association with celebrities like Clara Bow. His work in glamorizing products and creating new customer behaviors laid the foundation for modern marketing strategies.

Bernays pioneered product placement in movies, dressing film stars in clothes and jewelry from firms he represented. He influenced car companies to market cars as symbols of male sexuality. Bernays used psychologists to create reports endorsing products as beneficial, organizing fashion shows and paying celebrities to convey the message that buying items was a form of self-expression.

In 1927, an American journalist noted a shift towards consumerism in the U.S., where citizens were increasingly viewed as consumers rather than citizens. This trend led to a surge in stock market activity, with Bernays promoting the idea that ordinary people should buy shares, resulting in widespread adoption of his advice.

Bernays gained fame for understanding mass psychology, attracting the attention of President Coolidge in 1924. By arranging for famous film stars to visit the White House, Bernays transformed Coolidge's public image. This event marked the intersection of politics and public relations, showcasing Bernays' ability to shape public perception.

During Freud's financial crisis in Vienna, Bernays assisted by publishing Freud's works in America and sending him money. Bernays strategically promoted Freud's controversial ideas, such as those on sex and cigarettes, to generate interest. He even suggested Freud write for magazines like Cosmopolitan, despite Freud's initial reluctance.

Freud, after World War One, began writing about group behavior and the aggressive instincts in human beings. He believed human aggression was more dangerous than he initially thought, viewing man as a sadistic and bad species. Freud's works in America post-war fascinated journalists and intellectuals, highlighting the lurking dangerous forces in society that could lead to destructive mobs.

Freud's depiction of submerged dangerous forces in society post-World War One led to a reevaluation of democracy. Walter Lippmann, a prominent political writer, argued that if humans were driven by unconscious irrational forces, democracy needed a new elite to manage the 'bewildered herd.' This shift in thinking towards psychological control of the masses influenced political strategies.

Walter Lippmann viewed the mass mind as driven by irrationality and animality, believing that ordinary people were guided by unconscious instinctual drives rather than rationality. He advocated for a new elite to manage the masses through psychological techniques, controlling their unconscious feelings to maintain social order.

Edward Bernays, influenced by Lippmann's ideas, developed techniques to manage the irrational forces of the masses. By stimulating people's inner desires with consumer products, Bernays practiced what he called 'the engineering of consent.' He believed in appealing to people's desires and fears to guide them, promoting a form of enlightened despotism to maintain social order.

President Hoover, in 1928, embraced the idea that consumerism drove American life. He acknowledged advertisers and public relations men for creating desire in people, transforming them into 'happiness machines' essential for economic progress. This marked a shift towards a consuming self that not only fueled the economy but also ensured societal stability.

In the 1920s, a new idea of managing mass democracy emerged, focusing on the consuming self as the core of societal stability. Bernays and Whitney's concepts aimed at managing the masses through palliative measures, providing immediate gratification without altering power dynamics. This contrasted with the original democratic ideal of changing power relations for the betterment of society.

Edward Bernays, a prominent figure in the business elite of 1920s America, became extremely wealthy and influential. He lived in a luxurious suite at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York, hosting lavish parties attended by prominent figures from various fields such as politics, media, and the arts. Bernays was known for his ability to make things happen and had a vast network of connections, including mayors, senators, and business leaders.

In October 1929, Edward Bernays organized a national event to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the light bulb's invention, but as the event unfolded, news of the stock market crash spread. The crash, the largest in history, led to panic selling and a catastrophic collapse of the market on October 29, 1929. This event had a devastating effect on the American economy, causing a recession, high unemployment, and a decline in consumer spending, ultimately leading to Bernays' fall from favor in the field of public relations.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 had far-reaching consequences beyond the United States. In Europe, the economic and political crisis intensified in countries like Germany and Austria, leading to violent street battles between different political factions. Sigmund Freud, amidst his battle with cancer, wrote 'Civilization and Its Discontents,' challenging the notion that civilization represented progress. Freud argued that civilization was a means of controlling human impulses, suggesting that true individual freedom was unattainable and that humans would always be discontented.

In the 1920s, growing disillusionment with democracy gave rise to authoritarian leaders like Adolf Hitler, who viewed democracy as dangerous due to its promotion of selfish individualism. Hitler's National Socialist party gained support by promising to abandon democracy, citing chaos and unemployment as consequences of democratic governance. Hitler's emergence reflected a broader trend of political pessimism and a desire for strong, centralized leadership to address societal challenges.

After being elected to power in Germany, the Nazis took control of business and production planning, shifting it to be managed by the state. This move was a response to the perceived instability of the free market, especially after the crash in America. They also implemented measures like the organization 'Strength Through Joy' to plan workers' activities.

Joseph Goebbels, the minister of propaganda in Germany, played a crucial role in shaping the minds of the masses. He aimed to unify the nation's thinking, feeling, and desires through massive rallies and propaganda efforts. Goebbels drew inspiration from Edward Bernays' work on crowd psychology, leveraging Freud's insights on human behavior to manipulate and control the masses.

The Nazis deliberately encouraged and harnessed what Freud termed as 'libidinal forces' within the masses to bind them together. By manipulating desires and aggressive instincts, the Nazis believed they could master and control the population, fostering a sense of unity through emotional and irrational means.

Witnesses observed how Nazi propaganda, particularly during massive rallies, led to a delusional and frenzied state among the crowds. People became uncontrollably emotional and vocal in their support of Hitler, showcasing the power of propaganda to sway and influence the masses through orchestrated events and speeches.

In response to the economic crisis in America, President Roosevelt introduced the New Deal, a series of programs aimed at revitalizing the economy and providing relief to the population. Roosevelt believed in using government intervention to control the free market and strengthen democracy, contrasting with the Nazi approach of centralized control.

Under the New Deal, Roosevelt assembled a group of technocrats to plan and execute industrial projects for the nation's benefit. This marked a shift towards government involvement in economic affairs, challenging the laissez-faire capitalism that had dominated earlier. Roosevelt's approach aimed to empower ordinary Americans and incorporate their opinions in governance.

While both Roosevelt and the Nazis sought to address economic challenges through state intervention, their underlying philosophies differed significantly. Roosevelt believed in the rationality of human beings and their ability to participate in government, contrasting with the Nazis' manipulation of irrational forces to control the masses. Roosevelt's approach emphasized transparency, public engagement, and trust in the populace.

Washington and Fortune magazine's analyst Elmo Roper pioneered opinion polling to track the nation's approval of the country's governance. Gallup and Roper rejected the idea of human beings being controlled by unconscious forces, believing people could be trusted to express their opinions through factual questions.

Scientific polling challenged the notion that public opinion was irrational and chaotic. It demonstrated that people make rational decisions, empowering democracy by giving the public a voice in governance. This shift allowed for a new connection between the masses and politicians, transforming citizens into active participants in shaping the country.

Roosevelt's New Deal aimed to empower citizens and enhance democracy by involving the public in governance. This marked a departure from viewing the public as irrational consumers to recognizing them as sensible citizens capable of making informed decisions for the country.

After Roosevelt's re-election, business leaders, under the National Association of Manufacturers, launched a campaign to counter the New Deal's influence. They sought to strengthen the connection between democracy and privately owned businesses, initiating ideological warfare to regain power and influence in America.

Edward Bernays, the pioneer of public relations, advised General Motors in a campaign to showcase the role of business in shaping modern America. This marked the beginning of a widespread use of public relations tactics to emotionally connect the public with big business, influencing public perception and opinion.

In response to the PR campaign, the government produced films warning of the manipulation of the press by big business. They highlighted the dangers of behind-the-scenes influence and deception by public relations professionals. The films aimed to educate citizens on monitoring the media for hidden agendas, emphasizing the importance of transparency in democratic institutions.

The 1939 World's Fair in New York showcased the vision of a Utopian society under free market capitalism. It symbolized the potential of unleashing capitalism to build a prosperous and innovative America, reflecting the ideals and aspirations of the time.

Edward Bernays, a central advisor, emphasized the theme linking democracy and American business at the World's Fair. The fair featured a giant white dome named democracy tea and a working model of America's future by General Motors Corporation. Bernays saw the fair as an opportunity to maintain the status quo of capitalism in a democratic society, promoting the idea that democracy and capitalism were intertwined.

The World's Fair portrayed a new form of democracy where businesses catered to people's desires more effectively than politicians. Bernays believed in treating people as passive consumers rather than active citizens to control mass democracy. This shift reduced democracy to consumerism, where people's desires dictated decisions, highlighting a shift from active citizenry to passive consumerism.

In March 1938, as the Nazis annexed Austria, Sigmund Freud decided to leave for Britain due to escalating violence and hatred. Despite entry restrictions for Jewish refugees, Freud received help from Ernest Jones, a leading psychoanalyst in Britain, who secured a British work permit for him. In May 1938, Freud, along with his daughter Anna and family members, departed for London, seeking refuge from the Nazi regime.

Sigmund Freud arrived in London amidst preparations for war and settled in Hampstead with his daughter Anna. However, his advanced cancer led to his passing in September 1939, just three weeks after the outbreak of World War II. Freud's death marked a significant shift in how governments viewed democracy and governance, setting the stage for post-war transformations in understanding human behavior and control.

The aftermath of World War II led American governments to believe in the existence of dangerous forces within all human beings that needed to be controlled. The Freud family, particularly Sigmund Freud's daughter Anna and Edward Bernays, played pivotal roles in shaping government programs aimed at managing the inner psychological lives of the masses. This era saw the rise of vast government initiatives to control irrational forces within the population, influenced by Freudian psychology and Bernays' expertise in public relations.