A Disturbing Incident Mentioned in ‘Influence’
‘Influence’ by Robert Cialdini is an insightful book I read recently. There is one incident mentioned in that book by the author that keeps lingering on in my mind. I am just unable to come to terms with it.
To what (insane) levels can obedience be pushed? How much will people do when asked to by a ‘higher authority’?
There is an experiment conducted in a University where volunteers (for a small pay) are required to do certain tasks for behavior analysis and research. A few volunteers come.
Each volunteer is asked to press a button that gives a small electric shock to a person wired and tied to a chair. Initially, the shocks are small and the researcher keeps noting down the reactions.
After a while, the researcher asks the volunteer to increase the intensity of the electric shock to insanely huge levels – step by step.
In spite of the minor protests, shouts, and the loud cries for help by the person tied in the chair, more than 80% of the volunteers kept pressing the button even when the shocks were increased to dangerous levels.
Later it was revealed that the person tied to the electric chair was an actor and no electric shock was actually applied to him. So the experiment was on the volunteers to see how far they’ll proceed.
The higher authority, in this case, doesn’t have much of an influence as he is just paying a small amount and this is just a volunteering gig.
If this is the kind of result they were able to obtain,
Think about what all people will do for employers, family members, military commanders and the likes who are in a position to exert inordinate influence and command on others.
I now understand a quote which said the second world war was not due to Hitler, but due to the millions of people who obeyed his orders ‘obediently’.
For some, it’s difficult to even fathom that blind obedience could also be a bad thing!
Destination Infinity
Respect and obedience are utmost importance in military. They allow military to carry out operations with confidence. This is a good thing. That is why Indian military leaders obey without question the elected civilian leaders.
If the civilian leaders are good, then respect and obedience can end up being beneficial to all.
But, I feel, even the military should refrain from blind obedience. Otherwise, it’s easy for dictators to do any harm they want.
Destination Infinity
I am just wondering why those people subjected themselves voluntarily to such an extent of shock just for a small reward. In most experiments, subjects can quit when they don’t want to. So, couldn’t they just give up when it became unbearable?
The military is different from civilian life. Orders are obeyed. No questions are asked, like “why me”, “why can’t someone else do it?”, “”what is the purpose of asking me to do the task”, “what has such tasks achieved in the past?” … etc etc.
But in the military too, there is an option to exit, when the going is becoming too difficult. The rule is simple: “When you are in, obey; otherwise, out.”
The volunteers were only required to press the button to give the electric shock. The people who were taking the electric shock were professional actors – actually, no shock was given, they were just supposed to act as if they were receiving the shocks.
Destination Infinity