Ellul, Jacques., (1965). _Propaganda_ The Formations of Men's Attitudes.
                         Random House NEW YORK.
 
         "At the same time, this crystallization closes his mind
          to all new ideas. The individual now has a set of pre-
          judices and beliefs, as well as objective justifications.
          His entire personality now revolves around those elements.
          Every new idea will therefore be troublesome to his
          entire being. He will defend himself against it because
          it threatens to destroy his certainties. He thus actually
          comes to hate everything opposed to what propaganda has
          made him aquire. Propaganda has created in him a system
          of opinions and tendencies which may not be subjected to
          criticism. That systems leave no room for ambiguity or
          migration of feelings; the individual has received irra-
          tional certainties from propaganda, and precisely because
          they are irrational, they seem to him part of his person-
          ality. He feels personally attacked when these certainties
          are attacked. There is a feeling here akin to that of
          something sacred. And this genuine taboo prevents the
          individual from entertaining any new ideas that might
          create ambiguity within him."
 
         "Incidentally, this refusal to listen to new ideas usually
          takes on an ironic aspect: the man who has been success-
          fully subjected to a vigorous propaganda will declare that
          all new ideas are propaganda. To the degree that all his
          stereotypes, prejudices, and justifications are the fruit
          of propaganda, man will be ready to consider all other
          ideas as being propaganda and to assert his distrust in
          propaganda. One can almost postulate that those who call
          every idea they do not share "propaganda" are themselves
          almost completely products of propaganda. Their refusal
          to examine and question ideas other than their own is
          characteristic of their condition." [p.166]
 
p.s. Eric, I strongly suggest that you read Ellul's _Propaganda_
 
btw... I have agreed with Eric's hypothesis all along!
--
   ----------------------------------------- Carleton University ----------
               Robert G. White               Dept. of Psychology
                                             Ottawa, Ontario. CANADA
   INTERNET ADDRESS ----- [log in to unmask] ------------------- E-MAIL
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------