Last night I was reading through the first chapter of my Critical Thinking Skills book. Whats interesting was that I read about an experiment to find out if human beings will perform actions that go against their principles if instructed by an authoritative figure.
This experiment, known as the Milgram experiment, works by getting the participant (“teacher”) to zap the “learner” by controlling a powerbox connected to the “learner” through wires. Every time the learner answers a question wrongly, the “teacher” emits a zap, which increases in voltage in a progressive manner as more questions are answered wrongly. Note that the “learner” is actually an inside actor to make the participant believe he is actually administering a shock to a real life person.
A detailed explanation on Stanley Milgram’s experiment can be found here.
Alternatively, I found a video on youtube.com that explains it relatively well and clearly and you may find it here.
At first, I found it fascinating that the subjects were willing to continue with the experiment despite the sounds that were being made by the victim after each shock. And then I started to feel not surprised at the results.
There are not many critical thinkers in the world that are able to analyze and make decisions based on pure facts. Most succumb to authority for answers. Some thrive on acceptance of their opinions as a base of confirmation. In fact, these people make up the majority of the human population, thus resulting in emergence of followers and trends. Most people can think and judge, but the question we must ask ourselves is, must our decision consist of only the ones that have been introduced? How many of us can think ‘outside the box’?
That’s certainly something we’d all like to work towards to. If one can view the world through angles nobody else can see, and analyze, and deduce a method that goes against what the general rule thinks.. One would have truly contributed to society, I would think.
From what I’ve learnt. There is no right or wrong. I think right or wrong is all a matter of perception. So it does not matter. But if it doesn’t, then what matters? Acceptance.
You and I are not what we eat; we are what we think.
-Walter Anderson
