Stanley Milgram's famous experiments combined the effect of authority with that of conformity. In those experiments, where the participant was joined by one or two additional "teachers" (also actors, like the "learner"). The behavior of the participants' peers strongly affected the results.
In Experiment 17, when two additional teachers refused to comply, only 4 of 40 participants continued in the experiment.
"Civil disobedience. . . is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that numbers of people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience. Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity and war and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem." - Howard Zinn
Great quote!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I tell my dad all the time. I'm thankful for all the times he told me no.
ReplyDeleteNo
ReplyDeleteDissent is a powerful stimulator:-
ReplyDeleteStanley Milgram's famous experiments combined the effect of authority with that of conformity.
In those experiments, where the participant was joined by one or two additional "teachers" (also actors, like the "learner"). The behavior of the participants' peers strongly affected the results.
In Experiment 17, when two additional teachers refused to comply, only 4 of 40 participants continued in the experiment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
"Civil disobedience. . . is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that numbers of people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience. Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity and war and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem." - Howard Zinn
ReplyDeleteAs I read about the experiment I thought of the drone operators a half a world away from their targets...
ReplyDeleteDon't challenge me! ROFL!
ReplyDeleteSeems like NO is a very powerful expression right?
ReplyDeleteFrom the looks of things happening in the world right now, I'd say this tide is changing :-)
ReplyDeleteas the saying goes... no einstein, here....
ReplyDeletebut will say.... as an all-encompassing approach... yes!
But I didn't ask the question lol. Now you are obligated :-)
ReplyDeleteI like this and I know some who have been in the same boat. Not quite Einsteins but the philosophy is the same. My daughter is one of them!
ReplyDelete