Ready made opinions can be distributed day by day through the press, radio, and so on, again and again, till they reach the nerve cell and implant a fixed pattern in the brain. Consequently, guided public opinion is the result, according to Pavlovian theoreticians, of good propaganda technique, and the polls [are] a verification of the temporary successful action of the Pavlovian machinations on the mind.
Roy Baumeister
Violence appears to be most commonly a result of threatened egotism -- that is, highly favorable views of self that are disputed by some person or circumstance. . . . violence is perpetrated by a small subset of people with favorable views of themselves. . . . Viewed in this light, the societal pursuit of high self-esteem for everyone may literally end up doing considerable harm.
