Catholic Problems in Western CanadaDaly, George Thomas
Religion
Catholic Problems in Western Canada
Daly, George Thomas
Catholic Church -- Canada
You may ask how are the thoughts of the multitude so marshalled as to
make the unit of Public Opinion. As we already remarked, the thinking
power of the ordinary man does not go _far_, _wide_, nor _deep_. His
facility of absorbing ideas is far greater than his power of valuating
them. He generally accepts as real value any thing that bears the
stamp of current opinion. His belief in the value and weight of number
is without recall; his absolute trust in what Bryce calls "the fatalism
of multitude" is beyond appeal. He lives and thrives on the
_surrounding mental atmosphere_.
How is this atmosphere created? By the continued, persevering
repetition of the same ideas; by the vesting of these same ideas in the
attractive garb of self-interest, passion, fancy and vogue. On this
process, we all know by experience, is based the ever youthful power of
_Advertisement_ . . . and of _Fashion_.
Advertisement! Modern business is built to a great extent on the
mysterious allurement, the attractive invitation and innocent
camouflage of the advertisement that you find sparkling everywhere, on
the flashy poster, in the show-window, in the magazine, in the daily
paper. Without willingness to admit our weakness, we fall victims to
this wizard that we despised yesterday and court to-day, and line up at
the counter . . . for a _Special Sale_, an _Astonishing Bargain_. "We
are so thoroughly accustomed to the exploits of the advertiser that we
take them as a matter of course, rarely pausing to appreciate the art,
or at least, the artfulness with which we have been lured into the
acceptance of his ideas."
_Fashion_! Who can analyze this power so great, so universal? Who can
explain the psychology of this fact? Every spring and fall of the year
Dame Fashion has an opening-ball--Paris plays the tune, New York wields
the baton, the ladies of the world . . . keep time . . . and the
gentlemen pay the piper.
We mention these facts of every day life to illustrate the permeating
and driving force of an idea, when constantly kept before the mind.
And what advertisement and fashion are in the commercial and social
life, _Propaganda_ and _Publicity_ are in the world of thought. The
policy of propaganda is to enlist the active co-operation of every
vehicle of thought for the furtherance of an idea and to keep that idea
ever before the public. One readily sees the tremendous
responsibilities, and understands the flagrant abuses of those called
to create and direct Public Opinion. "The supremacy of ideas," it was
stated, "gives the greatest places of opportunity to those who awaken,
stimulate and organize the thinking of the people and especially the
thinking of a people in a democracy. The teacher's desk, the
preacher's pulpit, the orator's platform, the writer and editor's
sanctum--these are the places of true leadership, the thrones of real
power."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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