Stephen Leacock: Arrest Intelligence
on Wednesday, July 3, 2019Stephen Leacock Money Quote saying we all understand that advertising is meant to appeal to emotions rather than wit and is designed to stop critical thought. Stephen Leacock said:
“Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it” — Stephen Leacock
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In this quote, Stephen Leacock is satirically describing the goal and purpose of advertising. He suggests that advertising aims to temporarily “arrest” or capture people’s attention just long enough for advertisers to extract money from them.
In other words, the science of advertising, according to Leacock, is figuring out how to engage and hold people’s interest for sufficient time to encourage them to make a purchase.
His use of “arresting” implies advertising tricks or diverts human intelligence in order to financially benefit from consumers. Overall, Leacock takes a wry view of advertising as a fleeting manipulation of people’s minds and decisions for commercial gain.
The quote offers a critical perspective on the tactics and objectives of the advertising industry.