What really ticks you off is your hot button. We all have something that can set us off, why I bet even Buddha had something. There is nothing wrong with having a hot button if, and I mean if, you recognize when it has been pushed. Once you are able to recognize one of your own issues, you can momentarily indulge in the sensation, then reel it back in. It is only when these issues become our reactions rather than our responses that difficulty arises.
The manipulation
Advertisers and elected “leaders” know how to push hot buttons to get the reaction they desire. Note that I used the word “reaction” rather than responses. When we react, we are no longer looking at the truth behind a statement, or the appropriateness of an action; we go to our default mode. A skillfully pushed button creates fear in the listener regardless of what is truly in their own best interest.
We are deeply into the age of manipulation. Perhaps this is because we are so inundated with information that weeding-out nonsense from reality or truth; posturing from intent, takes too much “bandwidth.” I get why that might be, but the end result is that, as a society, we have become more like sheep than ever before.
The cure
There is a cure for hot button politics and advertising (and aren’t they the same after all?) and that is to become the Involved Observer in our lives. Taking just a moment to listen to ourselves, hear how we are responding to whatever stimuli comes our way, and determine if our response is justified or just reaction.
In my book It’s All About Me, the Involved Observer, I explore how this is done, and demonstrate how to take control of your life once again. You can get your copy (printed or Kindle) through Amazon.com.
