The Scary Experiment: You Can Become a Nazi in a Minute.
The Milgram experiment is one of the most famous and one of the most shocking psychological experiments at the same time. The experiment was conducted by Yale University psychologist, Stanley Milgram, in 1963.
The experimenter (E) orders the teacher (T), the subject of the experiment, to give what the subject believes are painful electric shocks to a learner (L), who is actually an actor and confederate. The subjects believed that for each wrong answer, the learner was receiving actual shocks, but in reality there were no shocks. Being separated from the subject, the confederate set up a tape recorder integrated with the electro-shock generator, which played pre-recorded sounds for each shock level. (wikipedia)
The participants read the voltage rate on each button; they heard the person’s screaming behind the screen when each button was pressed; they knew that they were hurting the learner through electric shocks; yet they continued to follow the orders and constantly pressed the button with the higher voltage rate written on. Some people, during the experiment, refused to continue the operation. However, such resistances were temporal for the most time. They began the operation again once the conductor “ordered” them to do so. The participants questioned and wavered, but did not stop. Two thirds of the participants (although demonstrated hesitations up to certain degrees,) ended up giving the electronic shock of the highest voltage that will surely kill a person. Only the other one thirds stopped and “disobeyed” to kill a man. The result shocked the United States. None of the participants had committed any form of crimes. They were normal citizens that a normal person would meet while walking down any street.
Millions were killed during the Holocaust. Through the use of gas chambers, open-air shootings, and extermination camps, the Jews and “the inferior beings” lost their lives. When the war ended with Hitler’s loss, inhumane war-crimes of the Nazis were severely criticized. People questioned: how can a human being commit such a heartless violence on another human being? How could the Nazi guards push the poor, innocent people into the gas chambers?
Sinister intention, ill will, anger, and violence were not the motivations that drove the Nazis to commit their sins. Obedience—this simple ingredient of human nature was what made them heartless. The mass tends to seek a strong leadership. People always search for a powerful authority to rely on and expect the leader to give instructions.
Let’s think, people. Let’s question, people. Let’s stop, people. Do not think this scary rule of obedience applies only to the past events. Look at the Iraq war. The American soldiers killed, kill, and will kill the innocent Iraqis. Why? How? They follow “the orders”; and that’s all it takes for a person to become the most cruel criminal.