The Programming of the Mind

   Everyone gets programmed as they grow up and mature.  The 
   programming process goes on without them realizing it.  It 
   comes from many sources:  parents, peers, teachers, textbooks, 
   television, Hollywood, Madison Avenue, church, government, 
   etc..  All that impinges on a person tends to impress ideas, 
   viewpoints, outlooks, fantasies, desires, expectations, 
   impressions, etc. into the malleable and impressionable mind.  
   And he becomes a slave to his mind thus programmed.  It 
   determines how he responds to situations and life.  The only 
   way a person frees himself of this programming effect, the only 
   way he de-programs himself, is by thinking, questioning, and 
   examining.  As he thinks, questions, and examines he sorts out 
   truth from falsehood, good from bad, fantasy from reality.  
   This is a process that goes on all his life.  As he thinks, 
   questions and seeks out truth he develops his own opinions, 
   philosophies, and prejudices.  And when this happens these 
   opinions, philosophies and prejudices tend to screen and filter 
   all the many external ideas, viewpoints and outlooks that 
   impinge on his mind from day to day.  He is receptive to some 
   ideas and unreceptive to others and the ones he is unreceptive 
   to just bounce off without making an impression.  Thus his mind 
   becomes less malleable and impressionable (a mind that knows 
   the truth does not bother itself much over error --- it just 
   disregards it). 

   The programming of the mind does not go on freely and without 
   interference.  Conscience, reason and currently held 
   philosophies and outlooks all play a part in the final result.  
   However, some of the most subtle programming comes in the form 
   of things that are just implicitly assumed by people and 
   society.  It is a programming that "sneaks through" without 
   being examined by the mind and conscience.