UNLESS YOU ARE A CRITICAL THINKER, YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN REPEATEDLY TOLD

Hypnotism is nothing more than suggestion and susceptibility to suggestion.

Culture is strongly hypnotic. Culture hypnotizes its subjects by use of repetition. If someone hears or reads something often they are more inclined to believe that it is true. Culture also hypnotizes its subjects by using their want to be like 'everybody else' (to be normal); most people think that if most people believe that something is true, then it must be true.

Of course, one's belief may be a fallacy instilled by one's culture. Take 'RELIGION' for example:

If you were born in India you would probably be a HINDU.

If you were born in China, you would probably believe in Taoism.

If you were born in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, or Sri Lanka you would most likely believe in the Theravada Buddhism.

If you were born in Tibet, Bhutan, or Korea, you would most likely believe in Mahayana Buddhism.

A person born in Saudi Arabia would most likely believe in Islam.

And, one born in the USA would most likely believe in Christianity

WITH ABILITY COMES RESPONSIBILITY

We were not the source of our existence. We find ourselves born into a world we didn't choose and at first had no control—a world not of our own making and for the most part indifferent to our concerns.

The existentialist conceptions of freedom and value arise from a view of the individual. Since as adults we are ultimately responsible for our inner world, we can think subjectively or objectively, accurately or inaccurately, realistically or fancifully, optimistically or pessimistically, pragmatically or idealistically. We have freedom over our internal nature, and the source of our value is determined both by how we think, what we say, what we do, and what we don't do.

Given that we have independent mental potential, we are free to think independently for ourselves. We can, of course, let others do our thinking for us (and, of course, it is wise to follow a leader at times), but the individual alone can create himself or herself; those who don't have no personality--such a person is a copy of someone else's personality. 

It is an existentialist view that we create our own nature. First, we are born into existence without a predetermined nature and only later do we construct our nature or essence through our thoughts and actions.

In other words, our existence precedes our nature. As human beings with the potential to think independently, we have the ability to self-create or re-create ourselves.

Existentialists are opposed to the traditional view that the essence of a person precedes that person's existence. In other words. existentialists do not believe that we have a given nature prior to birth that predetermines our ultimate purpose or value. 

Correctly understood, it is the individual who is ultimately responsible for determining his or her purposes and values.

Of course, as children we did not have the physical maturity or sufficient experience to be responsible for our own decisions; but, as mature adults with the potential to think for ourselves, we are responsible for doing so. To abdicate this responsibility by allowing our minds to be programmed and controlled by cultures, traditions, other people, or institutions is irresponsible.