Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Perils of Obedience?

Pretty much all of us like to tell ourselves that "it couldn't happen to me". We all like to imagine that we wouldn't have went along with the Nazis or, for a less extreme and more germane example, we wouldn't have shocked someone just because a guy in a lab coat said so. That was forty years ago, right? We're modern and educated, that wouldn't have fooled us.

Well, maybe not. Here's a very good and very disturbing article in the link above: (it'll take 10-20 minutes to read). Granted, the individual in question targeted people who were trained to be submissive to authority and wouldn't question him. Still, it's sickening that in this day, people can still be so easily taken in by this.

3 comments:

morgan marks said...

In my post answering Dr. D's question about what evil is I said that evil is a choice, either we act or we decide not to - sometimes it may be spontaneous and sometimes it may take thought, but either way, we always have a choice. All the managers and the man who made the calls had choices, whether to listen and obey - as they were supposedly taught to do, even though some were also taught about the no strip search rule, or to think first, then act. I can't get my mind around why people are so quick to please... especially when they were asked to do some of the things the caller wanted. As is stated in the article, "They had the critical ability to decide whether to carry out their orders." I also wonder why the caller had so much information about different employees in different restaurants - clearly there were more people running their mouths too much about personal characteristics of people. The caller definitely premeditated his calls, and knew exactly what he was doing - so then why is Nix, the guy who was the boyfriend called in to watch Ogborn and made her perform acts - why is he facing twice the penalty of Stewart, the caller? For someone to fully plan out such events to me is far worse then acting spontaneous and obedient, while not having time to think about ones actions.

Anonymous said...

"Why do people do wrong or evil things?"
Hark, your answer doth lie within the wisdom of Dr. Hook!

Get My Rocks Off
Dr. Hook

"Some men need some killer weed, some men need cocaine
Some men need some cactus juice, to purify the brain
Some men need two women, some need alcohol
Everybody needs a little something, but Lord I need it all

To get my rocks off, get my rocks off
Get my rocks off the mountain, and roll 'em on down the hill

I may do you one time, and I may do you more
I may turn you into something, that you ain't ready for
I might want your body, and I might want your bread
I might want your momma to come visit me instead

And get my rocks off, get my rocks off
Get my rocks off the mountain, and roll 'em on down the hill

Sometimes I dream of chicks, to bring me ever lasting joys
Sometimes I dream of animals, sometimes I dream of boys
Sometimes I kill the living, sometimes I raise the dead
Sometimes I say just screw it all, and crawl back into bed

And get my rocks off, get my rocks off
Get my rocks off the mountain, and roll 'em on down the hill"

Elle said...

This article is frightening in its implications about human nature. I understand that humans are trained to be obedient, but there is a certain line where second thoughts have to come in. What I don't understand about each of these instances is why the "searchers" never questioned "Officer" Scott. I don't think that you have to be overly intelligent to realize that managers do NOT strip search their employees. There are plenty of police TV shows out there such as CSI, Law and Order, etc... Which portray poloice and court proceedings, and thing like this do not happen. I guess when this sort of thing happens, it must be hard to say no, but, please, common sense here, people! Really! This behavior violates every type of written and unwritten rule, and is unacceptable. Frequently, I think that sometimes people are punished too harshly for their actions, but in this instance, I am abhorred. What type of stupidity does this take?

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