Sheeple is a term used liberally on the internet that intends
to describe the general public – those not aware of their
being manipulated. It isn't a new concept, Alexis de Toqueville,
1835, made reference to it in his essay -What Sort of Despotism
Democratic Nations Have to Fear. Paraphrased and summarized, he
contended that the easiest way to overcome or overthrow a country
is to gradually maneuver the citizens into becoming herd like.
He said,
"…After
having thus successively taken each member of the community in
its powerful grasp, and fashioned them at will, the supreme power
then extends it's arm over the whole community. It covers the
surface of society with a network of small complicated rules,
minute and uniform, through which the most original minds and
the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise above
the crowd. The will of man is not shattered, but softened, bent,
and guided: men are seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly
restrained from acting: such a power does not destroy, but it
prevents existence; it does not tyrannize, but it compresses,
enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation
is reduced to be nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious
animals, of which the government is the shepherd."
I've been giving this some thought – the whole idea that
we, as a society and Americans, in particular, might have indeed
come to this point. I conclude we have. The signs are all there.
If we read something in printed form, we might ask questions but
tend to accept it face value. If it is written by someone with
a designation after the name, like MD or PhD, we ask even fewer
questions, having been conditioned to equate earned degrees with
knowledge and wisdom. If the American Library Association adopts
a policy that allows children to access pornography via the internet
on a library computer – it must be okay – because after
all THE LIBRARY is a hallmark of society and any organization
with LIBRARY in it's name must surely also hold a sacrosanct standard.
Recently, an article was published that sites a "study"
concluding children who have sexual relations with adults are
not likely to have long-term side effects. A sheeple might not
question the inherent errors in this printed collection of lies
because of the three respectable words in the name of the organization
that published it - American Psychological Association.
We read "fat free" on a box of cookies and we assume
this is healthy. Just eat the whole box for the full benefits.
We watch a news report or read a newspaper account and never once
consider the information might be biased or possibly incorrect.
We trust the long-standing TV magazines that do those investigative
reports are only interested in educating us and to keep us "informed".
We never presume they are just a business solely designed for
entertainment and crafted to score high ratings. Our opinions
on serious issues often are merely reflections of those we admire
simply because they can sing or act.
In fact, we give full credence without question to anyone who
has acquired a recognized name – famous or infamous –regardless
of background – especially if said person has a talk show.
We never wonder if reports coming from government sources are
tainted with partisan opinion or hidden agendas. Men in white
starched collars are always men of God and can be trusted completely.
Commercials are really only public service announcements –with
our best interests at heart – always. The customer is always
right. We are here to serve you. 100% pure. Organic. Whole grain
goodness. Natural flavors. And here's one I especially love –
FDA approved. That makes me all warm and fuzzy like …fleece.
Face it, in short, we are sheeple.
How to stop being a sheeple is a much more difficult task than
becoming one. Evolving into a sheeple is a slow, painless process,
much like boiling a frog. You start with cold water and then turn
up the heat in tiny increments until the frog, completely unaware,
is done. For one thing, you have to actually think to recognize
you are a sheeple to even begin the arduous journey back to an
independent, intuitive, freethinking individual.
And therein lies the dilemma. Once you are a sheeple, not only
are you unable to think like an individual – you don't care.
