In our culture, there are two diametrically opposed beliefs. The first is that we are powerful and strong creatures that have the ability to shape our biology and destiny in any way we want. This belief comes from the Romantic school of thought which sees human nature as malleable, and thus society and the man-made environment as the problem. The second belief is that we are puppets being controlled at the behest of corporations and other special interests that have done a masterful job of shaping our perceptions and environments to do what they want.
Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Roads_to_Heaven_and_Hell,_religious_tract,_1896.jpg
