this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2025
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How to "deprogram" people? (lemmygrad.ml)
submitted 2 weeks ago by borschtisgarbo@lemmygrad.ml to c/asklemmygrad@lemmygrad.ml
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It just feels so hard. People constantly complain about their material conditions, yet when someone comes to them with Marx-Engels, they immediately brush it off. They are more keen on falling to mysticism and far-right ideology, in regards to "solutions". I know you cannot convince people by debating them, you can only make yourself feel good when you "win", but otherwise you are likely only making them less likely to latch on to socialism. Still, I don't know how to approach this. How do I convince them? Do I constantly, in every conversation about how the grocery prices are too high, mention the theories of Marx? Do I just sit around until they, on their own accord, pick up Capital or even just the Manifesto?

Whaddoido?

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[–] darkernations@lemmygrad.ml 30 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

"The basic call to action looks something like this:

  1. Stop accusing the masses of being “brainwashed.” Stop treating them as cattle, stop attempting to rouse them into action by scolding them with exposure to “unpleasant truths.”
  2. Accept instead that they have been avoiding those truths for a reason. You were able to break through the propaganda barrier, and so could they if they really wanted to. Many of these people see you as the fool, and in many cases not without reason.
  3. Understanding people as intelligent beings, craft a political strategy that convincingly makes the case for why they and their lot are very likely to benefit from joining your political project. Not in some utopian infinite timescale, but soon.
  4. If you cannot make this case, then forget about convincing the person in question. Focus instead on finding other people to whom such a case can be made. This will lead you directly to class analysis."

https://redsails.org/masses-elites-and-rebels/

The whole thing is a good read (approx 80 min) and have a look through the sources as well.

[–] gravityowl@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Thank you for your link! Today I was just wondering something similar to OP's question as well and your answer has been a great find

[–] darkernations@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Thank you and welcome. If you want to be able to understand even deeper and able to engage with others more effectively then it is worth learning dialectical materialism. Here's a reading list if you are interested: