Most of us are asking ourselves what is "fake news and disinformation"? Is this a new phenomena? Have the mainstream media and social media platforms just started lying to us since Trump or is there something else actually going on?

How many have heard of 'reflexive control'?

Reflexive control is used by strategists be they a ruler, a politician, a military commander, the owner of a corporation, a movement or maybe our own child on occasion. It's a sustained campaign strategy that feeds an opponent select information so that the opponent makes the decisions that one wants him/her to. Some may call it a form of 'reverse psychology'.
Methods of reflexive control include spreading false information, leaking partial information at opportune moments and projecting a different posture of oneself than what may actually be the case.

The goal of reflexive control is to ‘control’ the ‘reflex’ of the opponent by creating a certain model of behavior in the person, group or system it seeks to control. The most fundamental way to do this is to locate the weak link in the person's thinking or emotion, the group or system and exploiting it through moral arguments, psychological tactics, or appeals to specific peoples’ or a groups' character or specific characteristics such as gender, age, race, etc.

Reflexive control in terms of domestic group manipulation for political gain has been used in our country's politics for quite some time. Psychological studies show that when the brain is exposed to the same information continuously, it begins to perceive that information as true—regardless of conflicting or contrary evidence. Therefore, merely pointing out inconsistencies or presenting evidence to disprove false claims will be ineffective in countering disinformation.

People need to be made aware of this tactical strategy so they are able to recognize this 'Pavlovian' programming because this war of disinformation and ideas is being against us waged daily. A constant barrage of deception and denial. Bait and switch.

We have the choice of recognizing the tactics and not to just reacting because that is exactly what they want you and I to do. They want us to play into their hand by reacting with that post or tweet that gets us thrown in the fb gulag or banned from Utube or Twitter when the best response is no response that validates their tactic. Lack of validation or just facts have a way of chipping away at people's passions especially on 'emotion' based issues.

Sun Tzu was a master strategist. H said, "Engage people with what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate".

To beat this cyber-psyche war we must choose cunning. We must question what we're hear and see. Do some research. Reach out to those with credibility. Don't live in an echo chamber of self validation. Questioning isn't the same as becoming cynical. Choose your battles wisely. Choose not to let them define us or the rules of engagement for us.

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