You realize that the advertising industry, which clears north of $200 billion a year in the US, is entirely devoted to manipulating what other people need, right? If those people will stop trying to mind (and control) everybody else's business, there'd be a much smaller problem here.

You realize people are going to do what people are going to do.

The only thing you can really control is yourself and your reactions to things. I don't watch TV, read newspapers, watch football games, browse the web without an ad blocker, or live in a city. I haven't seen an ad in years. When I do venture into the city, I recognize that I must have seen ads, but I can't recall what any of them were; I'm too busy thinking about other things.

Stop blaming other people and focus on yourself.

If people were going to do what they were going to do, then advertising wouldn't exist. And you wouldn't be commenting here. Influence matters.

As for your advice to focus on one's self, maybe you should try taking it.

I'm commenting here for the lulz. Why are you?

Sigh. http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19

You don't have to be anonymous to prove the comic correct. Thanks for demonstrating. :)