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AustinDedios
ELA10Period3
Mr.Lundstrom
11January2016

Powerdoesnotcorrupt.FearcorruptsPerhapsthefearofalossofpower.(John
Steinbeck).Fearexiststhroughouttheworld.Itisamuchabusedandmisemployedauthorityto
some,buttoothersitisexactlywhatisnecessarytostandagainstotherforces.Fearispresented
inmanydifferentforms,andcanbeseenthroughouttodayssocietyinaplethoraofmanners.
Whosgoingtofixthis?,Whereisthisgoingtogo?,Howcanwechangethis?.All
questionscanbefueledbyfear.Thecoalsofthefirethatwillnevertrulydieout.Itsallanyone
talksabout,theconsequences.Thetruerelevantrepercussionscantrulychangethemindofthe
masses.Forexample,apersoncanbetakingamedicationtheirwholelife,andnotworryabouta
thing.However,ifastudyisreleasedsayingthatthemedicationwillaffecttheircurrenthealth,
theyarelikelytodisposeofthesubstanceandfindanewmethodofhealing.Howdidthisoccur?
Thispersonhadbeenusingthistheirwholelifewithnosideeffects,butnowtheyhadareason
tofearit.Factsscareus,propositionsscareus,newchangesscareus,andalotmore.Youcan
seeitdowntime.Thiscandriveustodoveryunhingedthings.Itcanalsoshepherdpeopleinthe
rightdirection.Fearisinfactaveryeffectualprocessofcontrollingindividualandgroup
behaviorsandchoices.
Forasolidstart,let'slookatadvertisingforexample.InthearticleFearofAppraisalin
Advertisingorarticleone,alinereadsFearappealscanbeusedinconvincingpeopleto


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appraiseandchangetheirbehavior,suchasquittingsmokingornotdrinkinganddriving.A
greatexampleofthisisrightinourownschoolbuilding.Thepostershowingnottodrivestupid,
itseverywhere.Wetalkaboutalltheconsequencesandterrifyingculminationsofdriving
poorly,andthisstopsagoodportionofkidsbeingreckless,andthesecampaignshaveproven
useful.Thesamearticlesays,Somefearappraisaladsfocusonlesswelldefinedfears,suchas
adsforplasticsurgeryorskincreamsthatfocusonconsumersfearsoflookingold.Wecansee
thisincommonadvertisingforhairstraightenersandotherbeautyproductswhichcontributeto
ourfashionstatement.Thefearofagoodimagecaninflictdifferentopinionsand
modificationstoourchoicesmade.Thisshowsthepowerandinfluencefearhas,showingthat
advertisershadadaptedtousingthismethodofsecuringcustomers,ordeterringthemifthats
thegoal.Itiscommonlyseenasaneffectivewayofconveyingapointacrossforadvertising
purposes.Fearappraisaladsmaybemoreeffectiveiftheyappealtoconsumerspreexisting
beliefsaboutafear.Ifwetargetsomethingpeoplearealreadyinfearof,andofferasolutionto
it,thenthetargetmarketwillmostlikelywantthissolutionorproduct.Itsuppliesthemwiththe
reliefofthefearthattheywantedandfeeltheyneeded.Thisallowsforamorepersuasivepoint
ofviewbytheadvertisershand.
Inadditiontoadvertising,weseehowfearinfluencesusinnormaldaytodaylife.The
article99%Inspirationstates,Ineveryfieldfearisusedasthemotivationforce:religion(join
myreligionoryoullgotohell)education(learnwhatItellyouorIwillflunkyou)parenting
(dowhatIsayororIwillwithholdmyloveandapproval)politics(voteformeortheterrorists
willgetyou)business(dowhatIsayorIllfireyou)advertisingandmarketing(buythis
productoryoullbeugly).Allofthesearetruismsinonewayoranother.Itisaformof


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showingtheconsequenceofnotdoingthesecertaintasks,ortakingpartinacertaingroup.Itsa
wayofmakingusfeellikeourliveswontmakeheadway,orwontturnoutliketheyre
supposedto.Weareafraidofhealthrisks,suspiciousofourbusinessinstitutionsand
governments,waryaboutourneighbours,nervousaboutfinancialinsecurityandjustplainscared
ofterrorism,violenceanddying.(99%inspiration)Theseareallrelevantfearstohave,andthis
whysomeusetheapproachoffearinsocietytodriveustodosomething.Whetheritbetofinish
cleaningthehouse,ortofinishcollege,itsallthesamemotivator.Fearisthefourletterword
thatnoonecanhonestlydenyfeelingatsomepoint,somewouldsay.Itisexactlyhowitis
meanttobeseen,anditusedinmanywaystomanipulatethedecisionsofagrouporindividuals.
Becausefearissowidespreadinmodernsociety,itseemsacentralpartoflife.Fearis
commonitisnowinourdailyroutineaslivingpeople.Ourfearoffailure,ofdespondency,ofa
poorperformanceoranythingelseofthesortcandriveustoworkharderanddobetterinmany
waysthatmaynotbecompletelyclear.
Toreallyputitintoperspective,lookatthisyear'selection,andthemindgames
implementedintothepoliticalbattlefield.InthearticleHowDonaldTrumpPlaysthePoliticsof
Fear,JulianZelizerwrites,
Trump'sembraceofthepoliticsoffearisnotthatsurprising.There
isalongtraditionincampaignsofcandidateswhohaveplayedtotheworstsentimentsofthe
electorateduringtimeswhenthereareseriousnationalsecuritythreats.Heisusingwhatthe
worldwantstohear,andgainspopularityforit.Whatdoestheworldwanttohear?Ananswerto
theirfears.Somesortofcomfortfortheiroutlooksandobservationsoftheperilousworldweare
populating.Insteadofcreatingareasonofbeingafraid,hesimplytakesanalreadyexistingfear
andprovidescomfortforit.Playingtofearscanhelpcandidatesgainattentionfromthenews


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mediaandtheelectorate,anditoffersaneasywaytodepicttheiroppositionasincapableof
leading.(Zelizer)Itappealstothepublic,andcanmakeastableclimbinpolls.Trumpisusing
thistohelpdepicthimastrongleaderwhocancurethefearsofthemasses.Isthisatrue
statement?Thatisamatterofopinion.However,itisanopinionthatmanybelievetobetrue.
Thisdemonstratesthepowerfearhasoveralargeamountofpeople.
ThearticleFearAppraisalinAdvertisingstated,Fearappealswithtoostronga
messagemayalsobeineffectiveiftheycauseconsumerstotuneoutordecidethethreatdoesnot
applytothem.Thisistrue,forsomepeoplethiscanoccurandcanbeaseriousdilemmawith
thisapproachofpersuasion.However,thiscanbesimplyaddressedbytoningdowntheintensity
ofthetopicathand.Also,whatseemsliketoomuchtosomecanbejusttherightamountto
manyothers.Thisisarareoccasion,andmoreoftenthannottheadvertising,ifdonecorrectly,is
justthecorrectdosetostirupcommotion.Thiswillcausethepeopletodowhatisnecessaryto
eliminateorcomfortthatfearitself.Makingitaverystrongandeffectivewayofproposinga
point.Sometimestoostrongiswhatthepeoplearelookingfor,ahugewakeupcallthatwill
alarmtheworldofthecurrentissue.
Fearhasahugeeffectonanindividualandgroupsbehavior.Nowonecouldnotscare
youintobelievingthewordsinthisessay.However,oneshouldseewhathasbeenstatedhere.
Wecanseethepowerfearhasintheworldtoday,andhowitaffectsourdecisionmaking
process.Inadvertisingweseethatitisusedtoscareusintousingproducts,ifyouwill.Ithas
showneffectiveinmanycampaignsandothersuchthings.Weseeitinoureverydaylives,and
howitmotivatesustodocertaintasksandaccomplishingparticulargoals.Finallywesawitin
politics,andhowinthisyearsdebateapopularcandidateisusingittopoolthemassestovotein


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hisfavor.Wefearahundredthingsaday,butmaybeweshouldbefearingthepoweroffear
itself.ThereisnothingtofearbutfearitselfFranklinD.Roosevelt