What do you mean?

The candle was needed.

Nothing is necessary in particular, but a choice among options.

We desensitize people to compassion, we dogwhistle people into racism, we train people to ignore dishonesty, we make people comply with authority even if they are wrong, we make people believe in science instead of understanding it, and some more.

This is to make people accept their jobs and create the things that are needed.

In general, people don’t do stuff on their own. So overall the manipulation is needed if we want to have more than hunter gathering. This can be seen as malicious, but also as benevolent.

join-lemmy.org could show the posts from all, with a big join button at the top. The introduction page can be shown if somebody presses the join button.

There is one server implementation that shows it to its users. I forgot its name though.

Also biiiiiiiiiicycle

Responsibility cannot be delegated. People are always responsible to keep themselves safe. But it makes sense for them to cooperate in a society to organize their safety.

The problem is that manipulation is part of society. For society to work, people must be unaware of some manipulations but then, manipulators can abuse the blind spots.

Overall it’s a cost benefit decision. Some abuse can be easier prevented by regulations, some by personal responsibility.

Trump announced his plans the previous day to develop the multilayered, $175 billion (€155 billion) system with ground- and space-based capabilities that can defend against a wide range of enemy weapons

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II_development

the program was expected over its lifetime (until 2070) to cost $406.5 billion for acquisition of the jets and $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance.

How? Hypersonic missiles should make it more difficult.

Add automation for cheap production costs and any defence system can be overwhelmed.

How should a secret society remove such a video without silencing the author?

https://xkcd.com/1425/

It is easier to do the above three things. Removing a video draws attention to it because the author will post it on other channels. Other people will upload it to check the claim that it is removed.

It’s much easier to drown a problematic video in other content so that only few people discover it. So some people know the real truth, but nobody believes them or cares about them.

There is only one choice: feeling or rationality.

When you feel, you do what feels best.

When you think, you do what is the most valuable.

So no free will but that choice.

The latter made me aware of the former.

The names were first. The locations are named after names.

Even America was a name first.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci

Like always, google is doing things for free to get training data.

All things are going into an authoritarian direction which needs control of the opposition. Google will have the infrastructure to identify people with opposing mindsets. There won’t be a rebellion if the rebel leaders can be locked up in time.

The biggest pill was that I am not intelligent. I was just studious and invested enough time to pass exams. People not doing what they should do is not them being stupid but me not grasping the full picture.

The second biggest pill that I am still swallowing is that I am not a good person. I try to behave in a good way, but it’s manipulative and not authentic. People don’t like goodness if it doesn’t come from the heart.

Also, when you finally say “no” to them, they act as though you’re a terrible person.

To them, it looks like they are the only person to which you say no. This means that you say no because of them. People don’t like being questioned like that.

Add some assurance that the no is not personal.

It seems like you escape your inner conflicts by being industrious.

Not professional advice but instead of going, you could halt posting for a moment and focus on your breathing. It will assure you that you are safe, and you can let the conflicts become a bit more aware without feeling overwhelmed by the terror. Do this for some time and you create the space to transform your conflicts.