Why we love our carousel life - believing we are steering

I love reading the daily horoscope from Jonathan Cainer. Not because I really think the stars are influencing my day, but because he has such an interesting way of expressing deep insights. Like today:


"My young grandchildren have a favourite theme park ride. They each get to sit in a little car with a steering wheel to turn and a horn to honk. They feel as if they are in control of their vehicle. Only they aren't, of course. The whole thing is being pulled along a track. For them, ignorance is bliss." 


Beautiful. 


From time to time you meet people who believe they are in control. They say they would never follow the norm; NO, they are their own boss and do what they choose. 


Sigh. Living in a culture is living in chains. It´s having to adapt. It´s being influenced. It´s to follow. 


You can most likely decide on the level, the degree, the amount of freedom you want and dare to have within the cultural prison - but only really brave and probably very nutty people do exactly what they please. Would we even be able to have a unique individual "want" after being brought up surrounded by others? 


Some break out of the normality peak on the Bell curve and become punk rockers or hippies - but they too find their tribe, their own track with little cars and fake steering wheels. Others start companies instead of being employed. And there are people who by nature question everything (and I´m most likely one of them - which is a bit of a burden I must admit). 

But most people like to sit in the little car with a steering wheel to turn and a horn to honk. A life with the others, honking along - because is bliss. Ignorant? Hell yeah. But bliss. 


I envy them. 

For us as marketers it´s important to understand that most people we market to are travelling around life in little cars along a track, with no need to get out. And to still respect them (us). Their (our) needs are to fit in, to be loved, to be normal. Don´t frown upon that. Love. Always love.