The Ideas That Rule Us

Book excerpt: “For much of my life, […] I was unaware that my words echoed a script I was conditioned to follow, that the lights illuminated only that which I expected to see, and that the orchestra was merely a recording that had been playing since long before my birth.” - Nathan J. Murphy In The Ideas That Rule Us, political theory researcher, author, and technology entrepreneur Nathan J. Murphy takes an eye-opening, multi-disciplinary deep dive into how others’ ideology, perceived societal norms, and pop culture influences shape our lives, through our decision-making, political affiliations, and consumer spending. Murphy deftly weaves over 4 years of political, cognitive, and sociological research into a very relatable and practical discussion about the fascinating origins of the many influential ideas and ideologies that rule our lives. He also examines the undeniable bond between the abstract and the emotional —a relationship that plays a dominant role in the human condition… and the quality of our lived experience. In The Ideas That Rule Us, you will learn: ● The three major ideological fights that are playing out now - and will affect societies world-wide in coming decades, including globalization, the housing crisis and drug legalization and acceptance ● How ideology has been used to change history and influence societal norms, including a three-point plan historically used by wicked elites to change the ideologies of the poor in many different countries ● Where ideologies go to die, and why major overriding ideas take 50-60 years to evolve, such as the gradual reduction in the influence of Christianity in the UK. ● The fascinating field of cognitive neuroscience and how different cultural environments can profoundly impact our brain function and the sort of people we eventually become Whether you want to understand how your social environment has impacted who you, or you’re a political activist who wants to learn how to leverage that which underlies political expression, The Ideas That Rule Us is your key to unlocking a new understanding of a very complex and influential topic. "A well-researched, thought-provoking reconsideration of society’s sacred cows." - KIRKUS Reviews - Our Verdict: GET IT Praise for the book: "Human experience is fundamentally composed of two things: the incoming stimulations that hit our sensory apparatus, and the ideas that we carry around about the world and which influence how we construe our perceptions. While the first is mainly governed by biological constraints, the latter is subject also to social and cultural negotiation. In his insightful book The Ideas That Rules Us, Nathan, J. Murphy walks us through an impressive amount of research and literature to investigate how systems of ideas, for instance in the form of religion, ideology and policy, come to shape our thoughts and behaviors, often in ways we are not fully aware of." Professor Kristian Tylén Cognitive Science and Semiotics Aarhus University "A broad and insightful dismantling of the constructs that influence much of our social and political environment” Professor Andrew Barron, School of Natural Sciences Macquarie University "A bold new explanation for why politics and ideology work the way they do." Russell Max Simon Political Reporter, Albuquerque Journal Deputy Press Secretary for U.S. Senate Campaign "Nathan uses simple language to shine a light on the fallacies of the philosophies underlying societal thought." Dr Imad Ahmed Postdoctoral Research Fellow University College London "An impressive connective study that brings together and makes sense of a wide array of scientific disciplines" Dr. Sam Nightingale Associate Professor University of Cape Town "Aspects of this book have changed how I think about politics." Simon Gentry, Strategic Communications Counsel Atticus Partners