Propaganda (Manipulating Public Opinion)

Public opinion is the thought of a society at a given time toward a given object or idea. To create and to change public opinion, it is necessary to understand human motives–“self preservation, ambition, pride, hunger, love of family and children, patriotism, imitativeness, the desire to be a leader, love of play–these and others are the psychological raw materials of which every leader must be aware” of to gain acceptance for new ideas (Molding Public Opinion, 1935).

Edward Bernays

An American publicist acknowledged as “the father of public relations” and notable for introducing and applying psychoanalysis to shape consumer culture.

Western consumer culture in the 20th to early 21st Century

Mass production in the 1920s triggered the accumulation of commodities. Commodities, such as cars, beauty products, household items, and clothing, became a key source of life-satisfaction and was (and still is) renewed by new consumer desires.

Minimalism

Minimalism de-clutters every corner of consumer-driven life. It illuminates the problem of excess that Western consumer culture brings and provides an alternative living solution to the maximization of consumption and productivity.

How can propaganda be applied to the minimalist lifestyle when minimalism aims to reduce consumption?

Does minimalism escape propaganda in modern consumerism?