Social Influence – Dr. Philip Zimbardo

The video entitled Philip Zimbardo: The Psychology of Evil is a highly informative and thought-provoking TED Talk by a prominent social psychologist on a topical issue of evil and its causes in the contemporary society and in individuals. The speaker raises several acute issues and provides arguments and information about various aspects of evil and its manifestation in ordinary human beings. In addition, the author suggests a way to counteract evil by promoting heroism. Overall, the video seems worth watching and re-watching as it encourages in-depth thinking about evil, its causes, and individual actions in various situations, such as the Stanford Prison Experiment or the Milgram Experiment.

One of the most striking statements the speaker voiced concerns the definition of evil. Dr. Zimbardo states, “Evil is the exercise of power. And that’s the key: it’s about power. To intentionally harm people psychologically, to hurt people physically, to destroy people mortally, or ideas, and to commit crimes against humanity” (TED, 2008). This definition does not involve philosophical or theological musings, and it does not ascribe bad deeds of human beings to the corrupt influence of paranormal evil forces or inherent immorality. In line with this definition, any ordinary person can perform evil deeds if this individual holds enough power and is corrupted by this power. Another possible condition is when the superior of a person holds power and orders to conduct a certain deed that can be considered as evil, without subsequent responsibility falling on the perpetrator. Personally, I was shocked by the findings of the two studies mentioned in the video, as well as by the real-life images from the Iraqi prison. However, upon deeper reflection, it becomes obvious that individuals acted in such atrocious ways merely because they could, as they had power, and because they did not fear any consequences related to accountability for their actions. After seeing these images and analyzing the data from the studies, people may quite easily claim that they would never have performed the same actions. Nonetheless, it is not possible to accurately determine how an individual would act in a similar situation. Power is a potent corrupting force, and the history of the humanity offers numerous examples to prove this fact. Dr. Zimbardo introduces the term “the Lucifer Effect” to denote the changing human nature and the capacity of any individual to do evil deeds under specific circumstances and under the influence of institutions (TED, 2008). This phrase definitely draws attention and vividly describes the concept it denotes.

Another striking and memorable moment from the video under discussion concerns ordinary heroism as juxtaposed with evil. According to Dr. Zimbardo, institutions should promote this type of heroism in children and individuals so that ordinary persons can do extraordinary deeds that can be considered as heroic under peculiar circumstances. The story about an African American man who saved a white stranger in the New York underground is a bright example of such ordinary heroism. The most striking fact is that approximately 75 individuals were simply watching the fallen man and did nothing to save him. It seems horrible that the overwhelming majority of people have become so indifferent to other people’s suffering and pain that they are not willing assist others. This indifference is evident not only in such extraordinary situations as the mentioned subway accident but also in everyday life. In the modern society, suffering, hunger, humiliation, and other horrible things are overlooked and ignored by the majority of people who are unwilling to leave their comfort zone to assist fellow citizens in any way.

In conclusion, the TED Talk by Dr. Zimbardo is truly thought-provoking, and it makes people think not only about the abstract concepts of evil and heroism but also about their personal attitude to these concepts and their individual reactions to everyday situations that bring forth either evil or goodness in them. In addition, it emphasizes that all human beings have an inherent capacity to act in both evil and good ways, and various factors influence their behavior in different circumstances. Nevertheless, people always have a choice, and they should not give away this choice in favor of acting like the masses or complying with the orders of their authorities. On the contrary, their choices and actions should be governed by their conscience, and they should do their best to act humanely in all situations rather than succumbing to the corrupting influence of power.