What about people who work for companies who participate in alternative facts, how are they affected? The one thing that always shows up in this kind of research is that employees of dishonest companies will develop a lack of trust in leadership. Dishonest ethical practices generally grow like a cancer within a company and usually lead to the company’s demise. Surprisingly though, if I ask how this effects the workers psychological health, there hasn’t been much research done in this area.
Common sense tells us that employees would certainly experience anger and disappointment. On the other
hand, if employees are treated well
and the pay is adequate, they are likely to go along with the company’s song and dance. Look at the tobacco industry. Why would people wake up every day and work in an industry that is designed to basically enslave and eventually kill its customers? Well, consumers make choices, and I need a pay check, they must think.
In the mid 1980’s and early 1990’s, I helped put on an annual tribute event to Bruce Lee called, Bruce Lee Eve. The event was held in July around the same date that Bruce Lee passed away. The event included a large Bruce Lee memorabilia display, martial arts demonstrations, and the showing of one of Bruce’s movies. One of the events even included two notable martial artists who were students and friends of Bruce Lee. One of these men is a well-known martial arts master named George Dillman. George seemed like a normal guy and I enjoyed talking to him during the event. He was eccentric in some ways and besides being a friend of Bruce Lee, he also was friends with Muhammad Ali. During this time, Dillman had started promoting a form of martial arts that emphasized the use of hitting different nerves in the body to stop an attacker. This was all well and good and he did demonstrate some of these pressure points on my arms and legs during the Bruce Lee Eve event. Several years later though, Dillman took his whole approach to martial arts into the land of Oz.
Master Darin Waugh
He started promoting no-touch knockouts, claiming that he could knock people out without even touching them by focusing “Chi” (what the Chinese call “life force” or “energy flow”) into balls of energy and then releasing his power.
Dillman is not the only zealot spreading this “Wizard Kung-Fu.” You can find Dillman and other “Chi Masters,” on YouTube. Now, it’s one thing for someone to claim to have special power. Clearly, beyond the profit motive, they have a psychological need to feel powerful, invincible, and better than. What concerns me is the effect that this behavior has on Dillman’s students and those who attend his seminars (which he holds all over the world).
Why would someone deliberately act like they are being affected by an invisible force? Which is seen in Dillman’s videos as he waves his hands around in small movements and the student in front of him falls to the floor. These seminars are attended by both adults and minors. Why would parents allow their children to attend this kind of function? What about the student’s family and friends who see these videos, what are their reactions? This brings up many issues of conformity and obedience.