Next Time Freud Keep Quiet.

Freud is famous for making the world aware of the unconscious and that irrational behaviour stems from deeper drives that we’re mostly unaware of. For sure wholly rational behaviour can be boring, but back then, if you happen to find an ancient newspaper lining your grandma’s drawer, you’ll find the news was dry and the adverts were depictions of what you might practically want; a lawnmower, syrup for a cold, carpets etc. Their claims may be a little exaggerated but they centre on informing your rational decisions. The lawnmower, simple graphic, price £5/10/6 from Wilkinson’s on Sheep Street: all the information you need if you happen to need a lawnmower. All rationally well and good. With the wide spread awareness of Freud’s theories adverts have moved to appeal to our irrational selves. The lawnmower has become a lifestyle choice, our self-worth has become dependant on the quality of it and we have an irrational desire to buy a new one long before the old one becomes unserviceable. Our grandparents would find the panoply of things we think we need absurd. Even our election choices stem from sound bites carefully chosen to appeal to our facile feelings. In short Freud’s discovery of our unconscious and its irrational behaviour has contributed to our behaviour becoming ever more irrational. But this isn’t limited to purchases it permeates our whole thinking. The basic logical thinking of a hundred years ago would find our personal and professional cognitive contortions bizarre. Our constant mantra of anti-discrimination moves our focus from practical awareness to a myriad of moot feelings. The colleague of my friend is lazy, deceitful and belligerent but these tangibles can’t be voiced because he’s black and that would be racial prejudice. It’s as if anti-discrimination focuses our minds on the surface of things and demeans the skill to discriminate and make perceptive and constructive decisions. Educational inflation where every youngster must go to university may make us feel good but it has little to do with preparation for their likely future. We focus on health and safety rules and not on the rational need to be safe as a way of being. In these and many other ways our decision-making has moved from the practical to inconsequential whimmery. So all aboard the Costa Concordia. The brochure looks great and my inner voices say it’ll be fine.