Century of the Self
how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the masses in an age of mass democracy.
In the words of Paul Mazur, a leading Wall Street banker working for Lehman Brothers in 1920s,
"We must shift America from a needs- to a desires-culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old have been entirely consumed. [...] Man's desires must overshadow his needs."
Companies often bypass or influence the inner consciousness (your self-aware, critical thinking mind) using psychological tactics rooted in marketing, neuroscience, and behavioral economics. Here are some of the key ways they do this:
1. Emotional Manipulation
Companies target emotions—such as fear, happiness, nostalgia, or belonging—because emotions often override rational thinking. For example:
Ads for insurance often use fear (e.g., "protect your family") and show a parent worrying about their child’s future
Coca-Cola uses happiness and friendship in its branding.
2. Subconscious Priming
Marketing can "prime" your mind with subtle cues:
Colors, sounds, and scents influence mood and perception without conscious awareness. Fruit drinks laden with preservatives or fragrance adverts use these.
A luxury perfume store may even play classical music and use gold accents to trigger thoughts of elegance and expense.
Cafe shops use warm lighting and smell of fresh coffee to create comfort and familiarity. It makes one linger and spend more time and money
3. Repetition and Familiarity (Mere Exposure Effect)
The more often you see a brand, the more you trust it—even if you know nothing about it. This taps into your brain’s tendency to favor what's familiar.
fast food joints run adverts everywhere from road-side billboards to YouTube, so even though we may not like it, it feels familiar and a “safe” choice
betting companies are visible in sporting events where new brands use ex players to position their products and services next to familiar sports and players in our minds
4. Scarcity and Urgency
Messages like “limited time offer” or “only 2 left in stock” create artificial urgency that can bypass careful decision-making.
online shopping portals try and trigger a fear of missing out, even though we know they have unlimited shelf size
flight operators release their tickets in batches so they can trick one into committing purchase of tickets
5. Social Proof
Humans tend to follow the crowd. Companies show ratings, reviews, and user numbers to say “everyone else is buying this, you should too.”
curated online reviews on TripAdvisor for activities and restaurants come to mind, the suppliers even discourage unsatisfied customers from posting online
viral product advertisements like gadgets or beauty items, that scream, “OMG, it works!”
6. Identity and Aspiration
Ads link products to identity ("you're a rebel if you use this") or aspiration ("successful people drive this car"). This bypasses logic and speaks to who we want to be.
Apple markets the iPhone as sleek, elite, and creative - part of a lifestyle, not just a phone. It sells identity, you are not buying a product, you are “joining” something aspirational
Wealth management products by some WM firms are marketing the same products that you can buy yourself, at the same expense ratio, but selling via smart-looking Relationship Managers, making you feel this is aspirational way of growing wealth
a recent trend of buying SUV cars can also be comfortably added to the Identity and Aspiration list
7. Neuromarketing
Some companies use brain-scanning tools to test which parts of the brain light up in response to ads or products, optimizing marketing to hit "reward centers" in the brain directly.
Super Bowl ads use tested storylines, sounds and brain-based cues that trigger dopamine and emotional recall
certain charity adverts for malnourished kids in Africa aim to trigger horror and follow-up with empathy reward (if we donate) in our brains
Key questions to ask oneself
What are the actual facts or benefits being presented?
Am I comfortable because of the product or the setting?
Recognize when you are choosing something just because it’s “known”?
“Do I actually need this, or am I rushing because of a timer?”
popularity ≠ quality. Always consider, “Is this right for me?”
“Am I buying for function or for image?”
Train your brain to ask “What is this really selling?” right after any ad.
Training Your Mind over time
Creating a system to help individuals ward off marketing manipulation requires a blend of awareness-building, habit formation, tools, and community support. Here's a structured way to design such a system:
Bonus: The Personal Mantra
Teach oneself a simple mantra before any purchase:
> “Is this for me, or the version of me they want me to be?”
Conclusion
Democracy without solid quality governance can become a tool to transfer power to a few over time (in incremental steps).
The article shows how some of these things have permeated our day-to-day life and offers a perspective in peeling off the layers of neuroscience that is working against us and making it work for us.