Mind Control: How to win the war in your head | Owen Fitzpatrick | TEDxTallaght

I'll start to explain it I'll try chronological my heart was in pain the abuse psychological the story I'm told is that I'm just the worst I'm 14 years old it's subtle at first things just seem so dire you know the bully he's scaring me I can't trust him that liar I'm fully aware that he says I'm a reject and I know that it's true says I can't be accepted whatever I do I'll suffer lost and alone till the day that I die and what cost he says oh and maybe you should try to write a suicide note say goodbye and just go my mind tells me I want to but I just don't know 24 years later he's still around plenty more tears later and he still makes a sound so this is my theory of what happens in her head in her propaganda determines how we're led we influence ourselves in the very same way as we're influenced by others every single day if we can stop propaganda from being able to work we can also stop listening to this inner jerk well I studied behavioral economics NLP psychology but Makeev story nah mix and we'll even neurology I travelled to North Korea Rwanda and the US I even studied Irish history searching for the best examples of propaganda that I could find to explore how it's used to manipulate the mind now I believe the propaganda is basically a war of voices that controls our mind and dictates our choices the weapons of this war are the power of words they're made up of stories made with nouns with verbs now the consequences are really quite chilling because behind every bomb and every mass killing are the voices that cause us to create hell we got voices in her head that do that as well they do what they can to attack it you see because they know we don't often think rationally but how come I mean with all the information that we have at our disposal how are some still convinced of any crazy proposal well this is how it works the media put out the lies social media comes along that we polarize we find ourselves stuck still to our positions like we're the convicts of our own convictions and the voices that we hear are loud certain and clear their emotional or down or full of fear they often dominate our internal chatter like we're lost inside some inner rap battle we feel what we feel then the beat kicks in and that's when the talk war starts to begin [Music] let me introduce you he's the narrator I'm the good voice to my right is the hater who are you talking about got a problem of me you know you got a big mouth but it's obviously because you're the odd one out you completely alone maybe's name's Owen cuz he's all on his own sorry you're me too have you really forgotten pardon me that's true and I feel really rotten know why your relationships ain't being very healthy only time the girls like is when they think that you're well you've nothing to joke - Bart - of your life you're not friends not rich not even a wife but look at all the things that I have done six books ninety countries I've had quite a run sad you want a medal cuz you can book a flight or put words together on a computer right but how many people have left you over the years girlfriends who left you friends who leave you in tears you know you aren't really hearing coz you cannot accept that after all of these years you're just still a reject [Music] I'm not just having a midlife crisis on stage I do have an important point that I believe needs to be made you see you convince yourself of what you think is true via this inner battle that happens inside of you now he compares you to others and he makes you feel bad he makes you guilty or angry or fearful or sad he lies about what to do finds ways to affect you but why is this true how does he misdirect you well let me explain how we make mistakes our brains are efficient there are no second takes we create shortcuts in how we process our lives we jump to conclusions and we generalize now confirmation bias that means we just want to be right contradicting items we delete them at a site and only hold on to what we think is true information from the world then becomes skewed now biases affect us like our feelings do and they bias in directors what we're seeing - for example if you're in a terrible mood it's easy to be depressed anxious or rude now we rely uncertainty in being right we survived because we knew when to run hide and fight our fears the negative emotions they keep us alive they make us better and stronger and they help us to thrive so we believe all is bad because their feelings dictated and we're trapped in these feelings even though we hate it we sell ideas to ourselves repeat speeches internally we tell ourselves stories that are reaching us verbally all this happens inside our head whenever we think realities building as fast as we blink when you're depressed you don't think negatively when you're depressed you believe negatively now propaganda determines who lives or who dies were tricked into believing it's dangerous lies how it persuades well it's no longer a mystery I mean we're all mental slaves on the wrong side of history but at its worst they're horrible examples of propaganda my heart nearly burst when I went to Rwanda the Memorial Museum showing what they went through so many Tutsis killed in cold blood by who - a million people murdered by machete gorgeous little children I mean these were just babies I could not get the images out of my head of all those beautiful little children lying there dead 27 is the number of people worldwide that by the end of this speech will have already died after writing their letters by suicide they decide to lie down genocide of the mind the key to combating this kind of war is by pushing back asking questions that challenge them going on the attack refusing to accept it choosing to reject it making your voice loud in the way you projected explain how they're wrong make your point strong show why they're completely insane all along [Music] alright next time to see you lose your temper your ex what's wrong you want to remember why hasn't she said the text where the hell is she I think she's having sex it's such a pity you were so pathetic when she walked out the door to a guy more athletic and so much more better than you can't you love to berate me you know that it's true do say why you hate your weak scared too feminine what's with the rhyming you like having them without the skill words are timing you're so insecure and yet you tell me you're not well if you're so sure maybe you forgot what I don't tell now how I've succeeded I tried reasoning with you I begged and I pleaded for you to stop and just let me be I protect you a lot why can't you see you where everyone out they're all tired of you I'm not easy no doubt but hey I'm tired of you too well tough someone has to stop you false hoping how by seeing lots of false and just moping sadness is needed well Jesus I agree but no need for me to be endlessly abused could you please quit going over the top I refuse to put up with it could you now please stop [Music] we don't might be wrong so we justified we think that's being strong but it's just a lie you see our beliefs that things won't work out leads to sadness her pain and self-doubt when you say that you suffer you don't have control now when you say that you struggle though it does take its toll in the story and words that you use and create you do get a chance to first choose your fate so this is my theory of what happens in our head inner propaganda determines how we're led we win this kind of war by being stronger so that their internal influence doesn't last any longer we gotta ask them questions challenge what they say how do you know that's true and well in what way and the next time you find yourself feeling anxious or nervous as Richard Bandler would say start thinking on purpose you see you change your life more by the way you perceive it if you create a new story and you start to believe it not the victim or monster be the hero and you'll find I'm more useful meaning than the voice in your mind no more begging strong instead the king is back and will reign the Conor McGregor of your head you back in charge of your brain [Music] you're trying to be the guy who's smiling inside but like a fly you can fly you're just dying inside you're just reaching in your mind trying to find the rewind to the time where you felt fine time to stop lying to yourself and denying try to stop pining Sun ain't gonna be shining maybe you're right maybe there's no light maybe no hope in sight but maybe I gotta fight you will not determine what I feel or what I do I will face this adversity and I will move on through if we can try to try to be a dictator you know I'm sick of your lights you radicular hater think you could just beat me yeah this is my residence you cannot defeat me fine then give me the evidence you're going to suffer no I'm struggling on you're going to lose no I'm sorry your rock you see I'll fight like a warrior standing in the arena every punch you will throw well I've already seen it like island my homeland that fought to be free I'll fight so that free in my mind I can be no goodbye letter I write you willfully see I reject your crap rhyming you can't bully me what nothing to say cat got your tongue now I'm here to stay and though we aren't yet done I'm not the worst see you around for now take a hike but first listen to the sound as I drop the mic you

Channel: TEDx Talks

Views: 1,336,982

Rating: 4.8100243 out of 5

Keywords: TEDxTalks, English, Ireland, Life, Behavior, Brain, Depression, Happiness, Health, Mental health, Mindfulness

Id: rBwQZv3_OXE

Length: 10min 9sec (609 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 15 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/chiilent]

If we affirm one single moment, we thus affirm not only ourselves but all existence. For nothing is self-sufficient, neither in us ourselves nor in things; and if our soul has trembled with happiness and sounded like a harp string just once, all eternity was needed to produce this one event—and in this single moment of affirmation all eternity was called good, redeemed, justified, and affirmed.

-Nietzsche