I Am Tired Of Feeling Manipulated And Influenced By People And Media

Here are 3 strategies I use now that help me rise above manipulation

Photo © Matthew Fassnacht on Unsplash

Are you really in control of the perceptions, actions, reactions, and judgments you make?

The truth is: Your perception is manipulated. Daily. And, you are most likely aware of it. I am not telling you any news. But I am telling you that I am tired of it.

We can probably agree that we are influenced by people, media, and marketing. In this time of constant streams of information and “connectedness” in all directions, it is increasingly unlikely not to be influenced.

It’s all the more important that we find time for ourselves, to “unplug” and engage with our thoughts, attitudes, and opinions.

If we make an effort to be more attentive and listen to our own voice and be aware of our values and point of view, then we are less likely to fall into the trap of simply accepting or believing the opinions, information, and impressions of others.

There is a big difference between knowledge and information. Knowledge is something we should strive for, while always being open to being critical, looking more closely, and learning.

“In the age of information, there is no excuse for not being self-educated. Yet we must not become individuals that do not listen to reason, facts, truth, and evidence,” suggests Coach George Raveling.

Here are 3 strategies how I train my awareness against manipulation I can recommend you to try.

Sharpen Your Perception Through Works Of Art

Determining evidence and facts is not easy unless we look closely and sharpen our perception. This is because what we think we hear, see, or conclude is not depending on what we really perceive, but on what we think we see or what we want to see.

This leads to problems.

Take a criminal investigator for example who examines a crime scene and fails to perceive important, perhaps crucial details. Or, a surgeon fails to detect new and unusual details because he is so used to certain “images” or phenomena. This happens all the time.