Step 7: Aftermath
Ok, So how in the world did all of this happen exactly?
Philip Zimbardo
Who exactly is this guy? He's a Stanford Professor who conducted research to evaluate human behavior in the 1970s. Being an employee at Stanford, he created a fake prison in the basement of one of the buildings and then recruited 24 Stanford students to participate in his research.
He paid each participant $15 per day ($94.40 today), and the experiment was supposed to last for two weeks. However, it did not last that long.
Zimbardo had random students assigned to be either a prisoner or a guard. The ones who were selected as prisoners were then "arrested" from home, and taken to the police station to be processed.
(1)
The experiment lasted six days due to some of the participants experiencing permanent trauma from maltreatment from the prison guards. Physical and mental abuse took place, which forced Zimbardo to call off the experiment earlier than he had anticipated.
Ok, so what does that mean?
Through his highly controversial experiment (that ended up doing a significant amount of harm to some of the people who participated), Zimbardo came to understand that, "We can learn to become good or evil regardless of our genetic inheritance, personality, or family legacy."
Nelson Mandela, who survived 27 years of unjust imprisonment in South Africa while fighting for freedom, reaffirms this as he wrote about a prison guard that had a reputation for treating prisoners very poorly.
(3)
Experiment:
Once they were, they were blindfolded and taken to the basement of the building to the fake prison. This is when the experiment started.
It did not take long for the prison guards to begin to abuse their powers. At 2:30 in the morning (on the first night!) they began using their whistles to abruptly wake up the prisoners for "roll" and only called them by their prisoner number (sound familiar?).
From there on, it got much, MUCH worse.
(2)
(4)
"Badenhorst had perhaps been the most callous and barbaric commanding officer we had had on Robben Island.
But that day in office (Badenhorst wished Mandela well as the guard left for another position), he had revealed that there was another side to his nature, a side that had been obscured but that still existed.
It was a useful reminder that all men, even the most seemingly cold-blooded, have a core of decency and that if their heart is touched, they are capable of changing.
Ultimately, Badenhorst was not evil; his inhumanity had been imposed upon him by an inhumane system.
He behaved like a brute because he was rewarded for brutish behavior."
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Ten Step Program for resisting
the impact of bad social influences
1. "I made a mistake"
Super important to encourage the admission of our mistakes. First to ourselves, then to others. Read that statement a few times to ensure that it sticks.
"I will learn from my mistakes, and it will help me grow into being a better person."
3. "I am responsible"
We become more resistant to bad social influence by always maintaining a sense of personal responsibility while also being willing to be held accountable for our own actions.
When making decisions, or joining groups of people based on interests, be mindful of the impact of your participation. Always imagine a future time when today's actions will be on trial where people will judge your actions. "I was only following orders", or "everyone else was doing it" almost always does not justify your actions.
5. I will respect Just authority, but won't conform to unjust authority
This means trusting your gut. If people are making sound decisions with the intention of bettering the lives of others, then follow their direction. Granted, this "step" is more applicable when you're in the work-force but think about your friend group.
Are there people in your group that are bringing people down? Making decisions out of personal agenda without thinking about the needs of others as well? All of these traits are troubling signs.
7. "I will be more frame vigilant"
The way issues are "framed" is often more influential than the arguments that are highlighted. Frames can just be soundbites that are intended to persuade people to think or feel a certain way.
You see this A LOT during elections, as candidates are often trying to persuade people to think their opponent is less qualified than they are. It's important to be able to think clearly, and freely so that you can make sound decisions based on research and your opinion.
2. "I am Mindful"
Too often we function on "auto-pilot.." Harvard researcher Ellen Langer says, "We must transform our usual state of mindlessness into active 'mindfulness,' especially in new situations."
For the best results for being mindful of decision-making, add "critical thinking" in your process. Try to determine whether the means ever justify the ends.
* Scenario *
"I didn't study for a test, but I sort of know this kid who sits next to me who is super smart. I think I'll just be super nice to him for the next couple of days so he lets me copy his answers."
Does pretending to be someone's friend justify the means of you doing well on a test? I suppose that will be up to you to decide!
4. "I am me, the best I can be
Always remember that your identity is what is most important. You define who you are. Nobody else. Be grounded in what contributes to your identity.
6. "I want group acceptance, but value my independence."
The power of acceptance will make some people do almost anything to be accepted, and go to even further extremes to avoid rejection by The group. We are social animals, and usually, our social connections benefit us and help us to achieve important goals that we could not achieve alone.
However, there are times when we join a group and it isn't the best situation. It is so important to be able to stand for what you believe in and be willing to experience rejection if you know the situation doesn't sit well with you.
9. "I will not sacrifice personal or civic freedoms for the illusion of security"
We can be manipulated into engaging in actions that are foreign to us when faced with threats to our security or the promise of security from danger.
More often than not, influence peddlers gain power over us by providing a distorted offer: "You will be safe from harm if you will just surrender some of your civic and personal freedom.
8. "I will balance my time perspective"
By not going “with the flow" when others around you are being abusive or out of control, you are likely to analyze your actions in terms of their future consequences. Or, you may resist by remembering an experience from the past that contains your personal values and standards.
By developing a "balanced time perspective" in which past, present and future can be called into action depending on the situation and task at hand, you are in a better position to act responsibly and wisely.
10. "I can oppose unjust systems"
You can change the world for the better. The entirety of point number 10 is to identify areas of your community that you are not happy with and be an agent of change within it. Be an active participant, and Use. Your. Voice. Vote.
And when there is a situation that you are not comfortable with, work to change it so that others don't have to continue to experience it. Be The Change You Wish To See.
Watch the 4th video ("Letter to a Person on Their First Day Here") over and over again. Strive to work toward a world in which our next generation will have a BETTER life than ours.