Break Free from Propaganda: A Simple Living Rebellion

Mark Twain nailed it: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they’ve been fooled.” That denial won’t change the fact that we’ve been fooled time and time again. 

From slick ads coercing us to buy things we don’t need and didn’t even know we wanted, to government mandates, our world is awash in manipulations designed to make us conform and comply without question. 

In post-COVID times, when blind obedience to “trust the science” or “follow the rules” has been challenged, it’s clear we need to rethink how we respond to propaganda. 

Simple living isn’t just about decluttering your space—it’s about freeing your mind from lies and outside control. Here’s why we’re so vulnerable and how to fight back.

Why We’re So Easy to Fool

Our brains are wired to trust, not doubt. Psychological research, like Paul Ekman’s studies on deception, shows we’re lousy at spotting lies. That is because we assume good faith, even when power, money, or control is at play. This makes us easy targets for those who exploit our trust. We’re also cognitively lazy. Critical thinking takes effort, and in a world of endless work and consumption, we often skip the mental heavy lifting, even when it’s critical. 

Over the last five years, we’ve seen how this laziness can lead to accepting directives without questioning their logic or impact. Finally, our psychological weaknesses—fear, need for belonging, aversion to conflict—leave us open to manipulation.

Governments and corporations know this, using propaganda to shape not just what we think but what we do. 

In recent years, we’ve seen how fear-driven narratives can push entire populations to comply with rules that, in hindsight, many now question.

The Propaganda Machine: Consent and Compliance

In 1928, Edward Bernays, the “Father of Public Relations,” wrote Propaganda, a blueprint for manipulating the masses. 

He declared, 

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.” 

Bernays didn’t just engineer consent—getting people to agree—he mastered compliance, ensuring they acted as desired, often without thinking. Bernays used emotional triggers, media saturation, and trusted figures like doctors or celebrities to make behaviors feel natural. 

His 1929 “Torches of Freedom” campaign convinced women to smoke by tying cigarettes to liberation. If he could sell that, he could sell anything.

Today more than ever, Bernays’ tactics feel eerily familiar. From blanket mandates to media-driven fear, we’ve seen compliance weaponized on a global scale. 

Mask rules, lockdowns, and vaccine campaigns leaned more on social pressure and “expert” authority, backed up by The $cience. Questions were discouraged, then banned. 

Yet, as skepticism grows—fueled by revelations of inconsistent policies or hidden agendas—people are waking up like never before. 

Blind compliance isn’t just dangerous; it’s the opposite of living simply and authentically.

How to Fight Back

We’ve had enough of being manipulated, but compliance thrives when we stay silent. To live rebelliously and simply, we must reject propaganda and reclaim our autonomy. Here are four ways to stop being fooled: 1. Hone Your Critical Thinking: If something seems off, it probably is. Question The $cience when it’s inconsistent or agenda-driven. Do your own research, check primary sources, cross-reference, and think independently. 2. Be a Relentless Skeptic: Question everything—politicians, media, even “experts.” A simple living mindset means cutting through the noise to find the basic truths. Ask: Who gains? What’s the real motive? 3. Trust Your Instincts: Your gut is a powerful guide. If a narrative feels coercive or wrong, don’t ignore it. Your intuition often catches what your mind misses. 4. Resist Compliance: Propaganda banks on obedience. Push back, especially when compliance feels forced. In a post-COVID world, saying “no” to blind conformity is a radical act of freedom. Keep fighting for a world where truth trumps control.

5. Read This Blog: Question everything it says.

Join the Simple Living Rebellion

The world needs skeptics, thinkers, and rebels—people who refuse to comply with the lies. Simple living means rejecting mental clutter and standing firm against manipulation. 

A small group of determined individuals can dismantle this “Empire of Deception” and lead the way to truth and change.  According to Margaret Mead, those small groups of indiviuals are the only thing that has ever led to change.

At my blog, I’m not buying their stuff, or their nonsense demands and brainwashing. That’s the start. 

What’s one moment you questioned propaganda and the official narrative and found your own truth? 

Share in a comment below. 

Let’s build a community that values autonomy over compliance, and truth over the lies and deceptions of the sort that Bernays weaponized with his books.