We'd like to believe we go through life thinking for ourselves and making our own decisions. But we've all been programmed in many ways by our culture. Parents and friends have a major impact on the way you think and act. So does the media. TV, radio, movies, the music industry, newspapers, magazines, the Internet - each broadcasts all kinds of messages. And whether or not you're aware of their influence, you are constantly being shaped and reshaped by them.

You can't stop the messages (unless you go live alone in a cave). But you don't have to stop them to be more in control of the way you think. The more you are aware of what the messages mean, the easier it is for you to tell the difference between:

• an actual fact and total hype
• your values vs. someone else's

Deconstruct the message. Break it down and look at the pieces up close. Then decide for yourself what you want to take from it.

Deconstruct the
Message Archive