missivenoun
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[newsletter]

Using Chompsky to explain why the media these days is so annoying

27 Jul 2020


Hello!

New articles:

Chompsky’s ‘Manufacturing Consent’ explains everything that’s ever pissed you off about the news.

Say what you will about Noam Chompsky, he had some bright ideas. The book he co-authored with Edward Herman is often described as ideological. It’s a shame, because when you strip out the strident denounciations of the U.S. government, it’s extremely interesting and helps explain many of the bizarre and annoying trends we see in media today. It’s almost like they don’t want you to know…

Annoying media trends explained by the propaganda model of Herman and Chompsky.

There are plenty of irritating media trends that dominate news feeds today. Herman and Chompsky’s ‘propaganda’ model tells us that they are chosen for us, by design or by accident, because these irritating trends paralyse us. They don’t threaten the powerful. And most importantly, they keep us in a ‘buying mood’. Let’s explore some.

Updated articles:

Why people lie to you (and you let them)

When we first meet someone, we follow a certain social script. That script calls for certain kinds of lies. But it’s not malicious. It’s a fundamental part of the relationship building process. They lie to us, and we tell them what kinds of lies are ok. Because humans are flawed creatures, and all we want to do is connect.

You can find links to all my previous emails to you here.

That’s all from me! Enjoy.

Warm regards,

Dorian

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More about Dorian Minors' project btrmt.

btrmt. (text-only version)

The full site with interactive features is available at btr.mt.

btrmt. (betterment) examines ideologies worth choosing. Created by Dorian Minors—Cambridge PhD in cognitive neuroscience, Associate Professor at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Core philosophy: humans are animals first, with automatic patterns shaped for us, not by us. Better to examine and choose.

Core concepts. Animals First: automatic patterns of thought and action, but our greatest capacity is nurture. Half Awake: deadened by systems that narrow rather than expand potential. Karstica: unexamined ideologies (hidden sinkholes beneath). Credenda: belief systems we should choose deliberately.

The manifesto. Cynosure (focus): betterment, gratification, connection. Architecture (support): inner (somatic, spiritual, thought) and outer (digital, collective, wealth).

Mission. Not answers but examination. Break academic gatekeeping. Make sciences of mind accessible. Question rather than prescribe.

Writing style. Scholarly without jargon barriers. Philosophical yet practical—grounded in neuroscience and lived experience. Reflective, discovery-oriented. Literary references and metaphor. Critical of systems that narrow human potential. Rejects "humans are flawed"—we're half awake, not broken.

Copyright. BTRMT LIMITED (England/Wales no. 13755561) 2026. Dorian Minors 2026.

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About Dorian Minors. Started btrmt. in 2013 to share sciences of mind with people who weren't studying them. Background: six years Australian Defence Force (Platoon Commander, Infantry); Gates Cambridge Scholar; PhD cognitive neuroscience, University of Cambridge (2018-2024); currently Associate Professor, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Research interests: neural basis of intelligent behaviour, decision intelligence, ritual formation/breakdown, ethical leadership, wellbeing.

External projects (links also available via Analects):