From Jefferson to AI: Resilience in the Age of Influence
Imagine two voices whispering across time.
One, from the late 1700s, warns: “Democracy rests on the shoulders of an informed and resilient people.”
“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government;
that whenever things go so far wrong as to attract their notice,
they may be relied on to set them to rights.” – Thomas Jefferson, 1789
The other, from the early 1900s, insists: “People aren’t rational. They must be guided by their desires.”
“If you can influence the leaders, either with or without their conscious cooperation,
you automatically influence the group which they sway.”
― Edward L. Bernays
Bernays’ quote suggests that influence is largely top-down and that people’s thoughts and behaviors can be engineered without their awareness. This framing can make people feel powerless, as if their capacity to think independently is limited. Feeling powerless directly erodes resilience. Resilience grows when people believe they have some control over outcomes, even in small ways.
Thomas Jefferson trusted our capacity for reason and choice. Edward Bernays, the father of modern public relations, believed those choices should be shaped without our awareness.
Fast forward to today. Algorithms and AI amplify those whispers into a chorus that influences what we buy, how we feel, and even how we see ourselves. The question is no longer just politics or policy, it’s resilience. Do we have the awareness to pause, reframe, and choose with intention in a world built to keep us reacting?
Jefferson, Bernays, and the Roots of Influence
Jefferson believed informed people could set things right when systems fail. Resilience, to him, was awareness plus action.
Bernays took the opposite view. He bypassed reason, appealing instead to hidden desires, branding bacon and eggs as the “all-American breakfast” and cigarettes as “torches of freedom.” His influence system still echoes today, scaled by algorithms that nudge us every time we scroll.
The Resilience Question
If Jefferson trusted reason, and Bernays trusted impulse, our challenge is this: “How do we choose with clarity in a world designed to hijack attention?”
Resilience isn’t just “bouncing back.” It’s pausing when triggered, reframing responses, and asking: Am I making this choice, or is it being made for me?
A Tale of Two Rollouts
Consider AI in the workplace.
Where Jefferson saw careful cultivation and Bernays saw orchestration, AI brings our intentions into sharp focus, revealing both our limits and our potential.
“One company announced, without context, that they were implementing AI. No explanation. No clarity. Employees wasted time worrying if their jobs were safe. Stress multiplied, and innovation stalled. Silence mirrored Bernays’ assumption: people can’t handle the truth.”
“Another company rolled out AI differently. The manager gathered everyone for a meeting, clearly outlined what AI would, and would not change, and asked team members where automation could free up time for creative brainstorming. Rather than rumors and uncertainty, the team felt heard and supported, and they approached the new tools with curiosity instead of anxiety. This kind of transparency and engagement builds resilience during change.
This is Jefferson’s trust in action: informed people, empowered to adapt.
Where Resilience and Optimism Meet
Resilience and optimism spread when leaders share information and invite participation. That kind of culture:
Encourages problem-solving instead of blame.
Builds trust because people feel seen and included.
Supports innovation, as employees feel safe to experiment and fail forward.
Strengthens adaptability when systems, or AI, shift the landscape.
Think of AI as Bernays on steroids. If he pulled early consumer culture strings, AI multiplies them into millions of invisible threads, curating newsfeeds, predicting desires, and nudging behavior.
This is both risk and opportunity. AI can manipulate at scale, shaping what we buy and how we think. Or, if we approach it intentionally, it can free time, deepen reflection, and expand capacity and growth.
Curiosity Over Fear
This isn’t just about leaders. The average person faces the same crossroads every day. A headline, an algorithm, or a workplace change can trigger fear. But resilience gives us another option: pause, get curious, and reframe the story. Curiosity opens doors, fear tries to close.
The Bigger Picture
Jefferson saw democracy as a garden requiring care and trust. Bernays saw it as a stage, where strings were pulled behind the curtain. AI is neither, it’s the magnifying glass. It can stunt growth or cultivate it, depending on how we use it.
Resilience means stepping into the gardener’s role: tending thoughts, questioning triggers, and choosing with intention. Not just for ourselves, but for the health of the systems we inhabit.
Small case in point: while digging through storage recently, I found a bag of old cassette tapes from my time in the David Sandler President’s Club. Instead of tossing them, I’m using modern technology to transfer them to my phone, revisiting the knowledge in a way that fits today. That is adaptability. That is resilience. That is choosing to cultivate growth, even when the tools have changed.
Operation Reframe™: Your Call to Action
Resilience isn’t resisting progress; it’s reclaiming your choices. Ask yourself: Am I tending my mindset, or letting outside influence lead me?
At Operation Reframe™, I help individuals and teams develop awareness, resilience, and a growth mindset to thrive in today’s world. I also support organizations in adopting AI with transparency and inclusion, replacing fear with clarity, trust, and productivity.
Ready to reframe your approach to complexity in leadership, business, or everyday life? Let’s talk.
Book a free discovery call to explore how we can work together
