Brain Washing: it's the default reason for everything from why you buy certain brands of toothpaste to how leaders gain political influence. There always seems to be some secret cabal manipulating us from beyond the shadows. The secret conspiracy trends in all kinds of circles, countries and cultures. Whether it is the threat of terrorism abroad or the threat of socialism at home there is always a boogeyman. But where did this sense of impending doom originate? Was it placed there by some evil force or was it simply there all along? 

The human brain can be extremely deceptive, causing people to experience vivid hallucinations that seem real to even a neurologist, but we somehow still believe that we are in complete control of it. The brain itself can cause the greatest intellect to spiral into madness all because of our persistent fear of the unknown. Must there always be a reason for things? Can't things simply happen by coincidence? In this day and age, whether you are talking to the left or the right, it seems as if the answer is a resounding no. Apparently things always happen for a reason, even though no one can agree on the exact reason it happened in the first place.

Is reason the answer or just another distraction from the truth? Why are we constantly searching for reason in a world that is seemingly random and coincidental? Are bad people unreasonable or have they use their intellect to arrive at conclusion you deem unreasonable? Who is the god of reason and where its bible? Or is reason simply up to interpretation, like the bible? 

Is there even such a thing as a sound mind? Does every individual experience the world the same way? Should they? Is reason the best guide in a world that cannot even agree on what reason is? 

Perhaps there is no secret plan to control the mind, and we have all deceived ourselves. Perhaps the answer is that people are different, and respond differently, which means, of course, that it is impossible to predict human behavior. Perhaps, gasp...we don't know as much about ourselves as we think we do. Join me for a fun discussion on More Content Talk.