Fnord

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The word seems first used in Principia Discordia, and popularized in the Illuminatus! trilogy.


The idea is that people have been conditioned as children to react to the word fnord with unease, anxiety, fear, panic, or even anger, enough to disable rational thought. The word and its reaction are easily forgotten, or not consciously noticed at all.

This effectively makes it a subliminal message technique useful to control what people think about things, as you can inject the word when you wish you create a negative association with anything.



Outside of the mentioned books, fnord is used with variant meanings, such as

messages that unconsciously causes unease.
"This area is monitored by cameras" can be said to qualify
random, out-of context, surreal text
mind-play nonsense
a meaningless word

And also

things that trigger cognitive dissonance
uneasy things people are not willing to criticise


See also: