Propaganda and the Shocking Science and Psychology of Persuasion | #Marketing - Ep. 101

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Dec 31, 2025

Explore the unsettling truths behind persuasion, tracing back to Freud's revelations about the unconscious mind. Discover how Edward Bernays transformed advertising into a tool for emotional manipulation and propaganda. Delve into the nexus between democracy and public opinion management as outlined in Bernays' works. Learn how Dan Kennedy refined these persuasive tactics for influencing key decision-makers. Finally, understand the modern applications of these age-old psychological techniques in today’s marketing strategies.

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INSIGHT

Unconscious Drives Power Persuasion

Sigmund Freud discovered the unconscious drivers of behavior that guide decisions beneath awareness.
Edward Bernays weaponized those drives to sell desires and identities rather than needs.

ANECDOTE

The 'Torches Of Freedom' Stunt

Edward Bernays staged socialites to light cigarettes as 'torches of freedom' to reframe smoking for women.
The stunt linked cigarettes to liberation and dramatically expanded sales.

INSIGHT

Democracy And Managed Consent

Bernays argued democracy relied on elite manipulation because masses are irrational.
He openly called mass persuasion the 'conscious and intelligent manipulation' of public opinion.

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I want you to listen to this episode of The Russell Brunson Show with a different level of awareness. This is not just a breakdown of a video sales letter or a history lesson. It is the story of how persuasion actually works, where it came from, and why almost everything you see in marketing, politics, and media today traces back to a single hidden lineage. This episode walks through the uncomfortable truth behind influence and why understanding it is no longer optional if you want to build, sell, or lead in a world driven by attention.

Key Highlights:

◼️How Sigmund Freud uncovered the unconscious drivers of human behavior and why those discoveries terrified him when they were used at scale

◼️How Edward Bernays weaponized Freud’s work, shifted advertising from logic to emotion, and created modern propaganda through desire and identity

◼️Why Bernays believed democracy required manipulation and how his book Propaganda openly explains the engineering of consent

◼️How Dan Kennedy took Bernays’ ideas even deeper, refining persuasion into systems that influence high level decision makers, not just the masses

◼️Why these same psychological frameworks still drive webinars, VSLs, funnels, and buying behavior today, whether people realize it or not

The reason this matters is simple. These tools exist. They have shaped the last century of buying, believing, and behaving. You can either stay unaware and be influenced by them, or you can understand how they work and choose how to use them ethically in your own business. This episode is about pulling back the curtain so you can finally see the system behind persuasion and decide what role you want to play inside it.

◼️If you want to watch the full Bernays presentation I reference in this episode, you can find it here: https://secretsofpropaganda.com
◼️And if you want access to the event I mention at the end, including the Propaganda book bonus, the link shared in the episode is: https://secretsofpropaganda.com/buy

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