Social Fulfillment, Survival and Persuasion.

Why are we so easily persuaded, even to do silly or immoral things?

Seldom is an action a result of an absolute autonomy. Personal beliefs, morals, thoughts and perception of our own knowledge account for only a portion of human action. This is based around the fact that humans are social creatures who require social gratification as much as physical well being. A life devoid of social progression and fulfillment is to be unenlightened and develops a sense of purposelessness in the individual, social exile can be considered a spiritual death in all but the most unorthodox of individuals. This explains why we will disregard our morals and opinions when opportunity for social progression presents itself. This manifests itself in several forms, and succinctly explains ungainly human traits such as the herd mentality and philosophical lethargy.
These traits are exploited by those with an ability to wield power, such as governments and the corporate world. Humans are persuaded by these entities and the herd because it is seemingly the easiest way to avoid social exile; we become admirers of the herd and our enslavers, paradoxically the more profound thinkers will also dislike them. To emphasise the fact that social fulfillment is the most potent, and insatiable persuader, the notion of advertising is entirely based on this human need. However, it must be noted that the core of the ‘social fulfillment’ theory of persuasion has a notable pessimistic bias; humans are not persuaded as much by communal connectivity as they are by the fear of societal death. This essay will explain how social fulfillment and the fear of social death form the basis of human action and submissiveness.
From a psychological perspective, the notion of persuasion is emphasised through the Milgram experiment. The ethics of the