Post #6
Ideology: How Much are We Aloud to Think?
When it comes to the word ideology, we think of a system of beliefs or values that belong to a specific group. Zizek makes a good point that propaganda and other societal messages are what form our sense of ideology instead of us doing it ourselves. He uses the example of glasses that one can put on and see all the messages behind the propaganda. (Watch Video Here!). He is trying to make the point that we all fall into the trap of propaganda and listen to what is presented without us always seeing the real message behind the text. He also uses an example of how he eats out of a trash can, or ideology as he says. He is making the connection that he thinks he’s being fed ideology and free-thinking when he is really just being fed trash. The whole point that he is trying to make is that we may think we have our own ideology or way of thinking, but really we are all just being fed the same things, which formulates a lot of our ideologies.
As stated by Zizek, “When we think we escape it into our dreams, at that point we are within ideology” and “Ideology is our spontaneous relationship to our social world, how we perceive its meaning…” What he means in the first quote is when we dream, we get to form our own ideology without the rest of the world decide for us. However, this ideology is already predetermined by society, which is what he is referring to in the second quote. We get our ideology based on what is happening around us and formulating that ideology can affect how we act and think in society.
When it comes to my ideology as presented by Zizek, I most definitely fall into the trap that society puts in place that forms my thoughts. For example, I believe that sex before marriage is okay because everyone is doing all over the world. It’s on media, TV, movies, etc. My religion says that this is not okay and is sinful. However, since society has shown over and over again that acts like this are okay, I’ve seemed to form my own sense of ideology rather than following my beliefs in regard to my religion. Society has taught me that acts like this are okay, which I’m not saying they aren’t, but instead, I did not get a choice because I was taught that it was okay to act like this.
A quote I specifically liked from Zizek was, “Realize your true potential, be yourself, live a satisfying life” (Watch Video Here!). He explains that we must look beyond the propaganda and lies and live our own life. Our ideology shouldn’t be what society wants you to believe, rather your own moral and life code that you decide for yourself. Ideology is the way a person thinks, so if society is thinking for them, is it really ideology? If we stop feeding into what society wants us to believe, then we can freely think for ourselves and form a real sense of ideology.
When formulating your ideology about life, it is crucial to assess what you truly believe in, not what the media tells you too. Hidden messages and propaganda can be found all over the world, and since most people don’t realize it is happening, they fall into the trap as others do. People need to stop and think about what is right and wrong rather than society telling them what is right and wrong. Zizek’s “glasses” are a good metaphor that shows if we just look at these messages closer, we can find the true meaning. Now with that meaning, it is up to us to decide if it is right and if it should be a part of ideology. We need to stop accepting what is presented and instead look closer and evaluate the decision.
South America 