Re: NSPIC - The "Royalty" Illusion

me (dm@compserv.net)
Mon, 22 Sep 1997 18:19:55 -0700


> A most important factor in maintaing the "nobility"
> branding ploy is the "quest for external authority."
> See 'The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown
> of the Bicameral Mind' by Julian Jaynes. People
> who've not yet become the authorities of their own
> lives "need" the illusion of "external authorities."
> They "need" to brand themselves as "lowly commoners"
> who look up to and bow down to "elevated royals."

The natural tendency is for people to feel weak and afraid. Montesquieu
and others have pointed this out. The Royalty Illusion stems first from
this basic insecurity, which IS, I think, a part of human nature ...
The Royalty Illusion, as you have called it, is a kind of security
blanket, or as we say nowadays, safety net.

> The Diana phenomenon bears witness to the power of
> combining the "nobility" illusion with branding.

Diana is a rags to riches Cinderalla story. True, she wasn't exactly in
rags, but she was a commoner turned royal. Same for Bill Clinton in a
way. I think, in America anyway, the commoner turned royal is the most
effective way that demagogues move up the ladder. It's the image mind
you, not the reality. In a way, the Kennedy camelot image was the exact
same thing ... The Rs don't do this so well ... it must be a different
illusion for them. But the Ds are very good with this rags to riches,
Cinderalla in camelot thing.

Doug MacDonald

dm@compserv.net