The Psychology of Good People Turning Into Evil
The Lucifer effect by Philip George Zimbardo is one of the articles that have consistently won the hearts of many psychologists who have tried to elucidate human behavior when exposed to conditions (Zimbardo, 2007). In the different experiments to reveal human behavior when pressure is mounted, the consequences are predominantly captured in the article. An experiment like the Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) has roles taken by guards and prisoners of which real conditions of prison environment prevail (Zimbardo, 2007). Milgram's experiment by Zimbardo's friend is also used to pinpoint the influence of electric shock punishment on students' class performance. The nurse authority compliance also is reflection of order compliance in the real life situations.
The basis of these experiments is to clarify the ideology behind complying to believed-to-be-good ethics but carry with them retrogressive aspects that render most individuals machineries to execute rules and laws detrimental to human survival and especially in tyrannical, authoritative and dictatorial regimes, institutions and jurisdictions (Maher, 2015).
In-depth analysis of the believed to be heinous act of Sergeant Russell who shot 5 of his colleague soldiers according to Hong is an act that needs readers to understand the conditions in which SGT Russell was operating in especially his state of mind before the incidence. This is important owing to the fact that pressure, stress and duress may lead one to commit an immoral act with daunting repercussions (Doryab, Min, Wiese, Zimmerman & Hong, 2014). The reason for this evil is explained in the Lucifer effects. Zimbardo's experiment is a good example that tries to bring into limelight the effect of abuse and especially that which is exposed to criminals.
Vices like corruption and pain infliction are what the experiments wanted to explore on the extent they impact on the individuals subjected to the experiments. Like the peer reviewed article the author of Lucifer effects fails to recognize the artificiality of the experiment among the inmates. The similarity between SPE and the abuse in Abu Ghraib is a reflection of what happens especially when psychologically normal individuals act sadistically due to the prevailing conditions engulfing their lives to the extent that the expectations of the experiments went to the extremism of situations with damaging effects on the subjects under experimental authority with those in authority pleasuring in abusing by exerting more bestowed power (Zimbardo, Maslach & Haney, 2000).
I concur with this article's argument on the effect of powerful forces on the transformative process of human character when one is faced by a difficult tormenting situation requiring one to act decisively regardless of the moral attached to the outcome. Alternatively, the nurse experiment best illustrates how well individuals blindly follow orders and commands in fulfilling the desires of their masters despite consequences and knowledge of the lethal outcome on fellow humans. This contrasts the human belief that they can resist temptations for the good but fail to recognize that we obey in order to avoid or in fear of segregation, discrimination or rejection (Maher, 2015).
Winding up, these experiments are a step toward discovering and highlighting the reason behind some evil behaviors among psychologically fit individuals. They clearly set the pace of finding the influence of conditions and pressure on individuals on their seemingly stupid and naïve actions (Doryab, Min, Wiese, Zimmerman & Hong, 2014). The reason for this is to criticize and satirize fragile authorities that use individuals as element to satisfy their ill-intentioned motives.