Obedience

• “Obedience” entails following directives or instructions given by a figure of authority, even at times when the directive may contravene personal beliefs or values.
• Stanley Milgram’s experiment forms a seminal study in the realm of obedience. He established this to validate how willing people were to obey authority figures even when their orders resulted in harm to others.
• During Milgram’s study, participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to another participant — the “learner” — when they answered questions incorrectly. The severity of the shocks incrementally increased with each incorrect answer.
• Unbeknownst to the real participants, the “learner” was actually an actor and was not receiving any shocks. The focus of the study was to observe the real participant’s obedience, ranging from total rebellion to complete submission.
• One of the key findings was that 65% of participants obeyed the authority figure even to the point of delivering potentially lethal shocks, demonstrating humanity’s high propensity for obedience.
• This propensity is thought to be rooted in our upbringing, where significant emphasis is placed on obeying authority figures like parents, teachers, and law enforcement officials.
• However, obedience is not always negative. In fact, it’s fundamental in maintaining social order. Following laws and societal norms, for example, is essential for a functioning society.
• It is in extreme scenarios of malevolent obedience, like those that occurred in Nazi Germany during the Second World War, where the potential harm of unchecked obedience is glaringly apparent.
• Factors that can influence obedience are identified as proximity, location, power, uniform, group size and conformity pressures among others.
• Charismatic and persuasive leaders can inspire obedience, sometimes even to the point of blind allegiance. This can have dangerous consequences if manipulated.
• Finally, the importance of teaching and learning about disobedience as a psychological and moral tool is crucial to equip individuals with the ability to critically evaluate orders and make ethical decisions.