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tRFORMINOORGANIZATIONNAMMANOAOONUS210.
0OOMAMELE1ENT,PROjECT,TASKProfessorPhilipG.
Zi:mbardoAAEA6wOINKUNITNUMUIAIDepartmentofPsychology,StanfordUniversityNR170-866Stanford,California94305Ii.
CONTPOLLIP40OFPICIENAMEAN0A0011193OfficeofNavalResearch(Code452)/Sepn,3.
a]OrganizationalEffectivenessResearchProgra6l"--Arlington,Virginia22217-30-14MONItORINGAGENCYNAME:A3O5mSseieiftllE(o,controfttnlgOffice)Is,licUIlTYCLASS.
(oftisrelpot)OfficeofNavalResearchUNCLASSIFIEDStanfordUniversity,Stanford,CA94305is.
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O9ECASSIF1CAT1OVNGRAO1NGSell9CULEIt.
OISTniouriONSTATEMENT(ofth,Report)Approvedforpublicrelease;distributionunlimitedOCT:IS.
SWIMPLEMEN'ANYNOTESIt.
IgyWOROS(C4ntinuionte,'rteoslditIRleaewr'pAndIdeltifybblocknumber)SOCIALINFLUENCECOERCIVECONTROLCULTSMINDCONTROLPROPAGANDASOCIALPOWERCMDMINDMANIPULATIONCONVERSIONRULECONTROLBRAINWASHINGATTITUDECHANGEROLES(seereversepage)'0.
A§STACT(CmnIfnuetweevwveieIInceeayadidenitybb6lokmimbor)-/.
asistingsocialinfluencesbecomesimportantwhensuchinfluencescanbeappropriatelythoughtofas"mindcontrol.
"W'heninformationissystematicallyhidden,withheldordistorteditisimpossibletomakeunbiaseddecisions.
Underthesecircumstances,peoplemaybesubtlyledtobelievetheyare"freely"choosingtoact.
ItispreciselythiskindofdecisionthatpersistsandmostaffectsourbehaviorsincewecometobelieveinthoseatritudesandactionsforwhichwehavegeneratedourDO1473.
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ef)19.
Keywords(continued)SITUATIONALFORCESDISSONANTCOMKITnXNTSRESISTANCETOPERSUASIONVULNERABILITYroINFLUENCECOUNTERARGUINGCOMPREHENSIONOFCOMMUNICATIONSATTRIBUTIONALERRORVIGILANCESTRATEGIES20.
Abstract(continued)-)ownjustifications.
Thethesisofthisessayisthat"mindcontrol"existsnotinexoticgimmicks,butratherinthemostmundaneaspectsofexperience.
Becauseitdoes,itispossibletoreduceoursuscepti-bilitytounwantedcoercivecontrolbyincreasingourvigilancea:1learningtoutilizecertainbasicstrategiesofanalysis.
Inthispaper,wepresentresistancestrategieswhicharebroadlyapplicabletothewidearrayofmind-manipulationattemptsthatsurroundusdaily-ina"self-help"formatthatprovidesforreadyaccessibility.
Findingsfromrelevantsocial-psychologicalresearch,frominterviewsandpersonalexperienceswithconmen,cultists,super-salesmenandotherperpetratorsofmindcontrolcomprisethereservoirofinformationfromwhichwehavedraWehaveblendedpragmaticadvicewithaconceptualanalysisofthebisacissuesonwhichvulnerabilitytopersuasionrests--inthehopethatinividualswhofindtheymustmakedecisionsonthebasisofcontrividcommunicationswillbebetterabletotransformthemintothoughtrul,meaningfulchoices.
i/IN/.
---LNCLASSIFEDSg'JAIllTY(CLAS$1ICATIONOFT4k15PAGVhr'ln011C1Erffed)OnresistingsocialinfluenceISusanAndersenandPhilipZinibardoIStanfordUniversityILIAONIKTechnicalReport:Z-79-01September,1979OnResistingSocialInfluence!
SusanAndersenandPhilipZimbardoStanfordUniversityAbstractResistingsocialinfluencesbecomesimportantwhensuchinfluencescanbeappropriatelythoughtofas"mindcontrol.
"Wheninformationissystematicallyhidden,withheldordistorteditisimpossibletomakeunbiaseddecisions.
Underthesecircumstances,peoplemaybesubtlyledtobelievetheyare"freely"choosingtoact.
Itispreciselythiskindofdecisionthatpersistsandmostaffectsourbehaviorsincewecometobelieveinthoseattitudesandactionsforwhichwehavegeneratedourownjustifications.
Thethesisofthisessayisthat"mindcontrol"existsnotinexoticgimmicks,butratherinthemostmundaneaspectsofexperience.
Becauseitdoes,itispossibletoreduceoursusceptibilitytounwantedcoercivecontrolbyincreasingourvigilanceandbylearning7howtoutilizeparticularbasicstrategiesofanalysis.
Wepresentaseriesoftroublesomesituationsfollowedbystrategiesofresistancewhicharebroadlyapplicabletothewidearrayofmind-manipulationattemptsthatsurroundusdaily.
Oursourceshaveincludedsurveysofrelevantsocial-psychologicalresearch,aswellasinterviewsandpersonalexperienceswithconmen,cultists,super-salesmenandotherperpetratorsofmindcontrol.
Pragmaticadviceisblendedwithaconceptualanalysisofthebasicissuesonwnichvulne:abilitytopersuasionrests--inthehopethatindividualswhofindtheymustmakedecisionsonthebasisofcontrivedcommunicationswillbebettpribtetctranstormthemintothoughtful,meaningfulchoices.
I'7----"MAmiddle-agedmaninadarktweedsportscoatsatwithsomebuddiesoverabeerandboastedofnewlymadeprofitsfromhissmallclothingstoredowntown.
Hiseyesglimmeredasherecountedcleverhoaxesthatwouldensnareprice-consciouscustomers.
"They'resoeasy,"Samblurtedoutwithalaugh.
Theold"hardofhearing"scriptwashisfavorite.
Itwentlikethis.
Havingevokedapatron'sinterestinsomebrandnewpieceofmerchandise,notyetevenpricetagged,hewouldcallouttohispartnerHerbieforthesellingprice.
LoudandclearfromthebackroomHerbiewouldshout"$86.
50!
"justasSam'shearingaidsuddenlycameloose.
Tinkeringwithitforamomenttoremedytheproblem,hewouldexaminethemerchandisecuriouslyandsay,"Fiftydollars,huhO.
K.
,Iguessthat'stheprice.
"Andthenlookingthecustomerstraightintheeye,"Butnofreealterationsforthatkindofmoney.
"MostpaidcashonthespottoescapebeforeHerbiecoulddiscoverthe"error.
"Foranitemworthnomorethanthirtydollars,theyleftwithsomedeal!
Otherpopularscamssuitpeopleofallprofessions,appearancesandback-grounds.
Inthepigeondrop,forexample,anelderlywomansittingbyherselfinapublicplaceisledtobelievethatsheisentitledtoshareinabonanzaofmoneyfoundinanenvelopeonthefloor--bythewomansittingnexttoher.
Whileallegedlywaitingouttheclaimperiodshemustshow"goodfaith"byputtingsomeofherownbanksavingsin"escrow"withtheconwoman'slawyer,forsafekeeping.
Whentheydisappearwithhermoneysheisleft,asatrustingpigeon,withonlythedroppings--aworthlessenvelope.
Whentheresultsofunquestioninglyadheringtosituationalpressuresbecomesevereandenduring,adeceptivedancemaybegintolookprogressivelymorelikemindcontrol.
Humanneedsarecapitalizeduponforsomeoneelse'sends.
Althoughcustomersinthefirstscenariopassuptheopportunitytobehonest,theyareexploitedonthebasisofonerairlyobviuusdesire:togetsomethingforalittleless.
Inthesecondepisode,aninnocentelderlywomaniit.
IAndersen/Zimbardo2inadvertentlygetscaughtupinthewell-designedchoreographyofacoupleofprofessionalconartistsbecausesheacceptsatfacevaluetherealitytheycon-venientlyprovide.
Intheendsheisawillingparticipantinajourneywithapredictablyunhappyending.
Nodoubtthelawyerworeadarkbusinesssuittosupportthecredibilityofhis"profession.
"Inouranalysis,thegoalofmindcontrolistomanipulatethoughts,jfeelingsandbehaviorwithinsomecontextovertime.
Ofcourse,werecognizethatmostofuswillagreewiththeconsequencesofsomecontrolstrategiesbecausetheyreflectidealsthatareintimatelyapartofourlives.
Thesewedescribeassocializationratherthanprogramming,aseducationratherthanpropaganda,aspersonaldevelopmentratherthanbrainwashing.
Peoplewhocon-verttoourchurchare"saved"fromdamnation,while"defectors"aredoomedbytheirignorance.
Buttheprocessofcovertcoercivecontroliswhatisatissuehere,regardlessoftheendstowhichitisput.
Takeafather'sconcernforinculcatingasenseofpatriotisminhisson:"Iamverypro-American.
Ihaveasmallsonandhavehopesthatwhenhegrowsuphewilljoinoneofthearmedforces.
Toensurethis,Ihavethoughtoftalkingtohimwhileheissleeping--nogreacspeech,butalittlepatriotismandthesuggestionthatanarmycareerwouldbegood.
"(Caplan,1969,p.
65)Deliberateattemptstomanipulatesomeoneelse'sbehaviorlookmoreexploi-tativewhentheyarecovertbecausethe"victim"mighthaveresistedhadhisorher"informedconsent"beenrequested.
ButcontrolisactuallymosteffectivewhensomeoneissubtlyledtobelievEthatheorshehas"freely"choreutoact.
Oncewemakethecommitment,wegenerateourownJustificationsevenwhentrulyU"uninformed"oftheimportantdetails.
Ourchoiceofactionsisonlyasreason-ableastheinformationwehaveavailabletous;andreliableinformationcanbemethodicallyhiddenorwithheld.
Take,forexample,thecaseofgovernmentAndersen/ZimbardoofficialsrefusingtowarnthepublicabouttherisksofradiationfalloutduringtheatomicbombtestsinNevadainthe1950's.
Residentschosetostayinthearea.
InOklahoma,theK%,-McGeeplutoniumplantwasrecentlyfoundguiltyofmis-leadingemployeesaboutthehazardsofitsoperation--afteralongstruggletoexposeflagrantsafetyviolations.
Onabroaderlevel,whiletheWesternpresswasbombardedwithinformationabouttheUnitedStates'restraintinIrananditsconcertedeffortsIntheMiddleEast,therehasbeenlittlecoverageofthewarbeingwagedbyAmerican-suppliedIndonesiantroopsontheislandofTimorwhichhasleftasmanyas100,000peopledead.
Makingdecisionsaboutbothpublicandpersonalissueshasbecomeconsiderablymorecomplexinrecentyears,readilyallowingthose"inpower"inoursocialworldstodefinerealityfortherestofus.
Bycontrollingtheinformationtowhichweareexposedtheyconven-ientlyrestricttherangeofalternativesfromwhichweseemto"freely"choose.
Whatthispointsout,ofcourse,isthatwearealwaysbeingcontrolled.
Politiciansinfluenceourvotes;teachersourthinking;religiousleadersourmorality.
Advertisersemphasizeourabilitytomake"rational"decisionsbetweenproductstheyhaveapparentlycompared,andthenurgeustobuytheoneoftheirchoosingwhetherweneedit,wantitorcanaffordit.
Ourtastesinfood,dress,art,music,friendsandsoonareallacquiredthroughsubtleprocessesofsocialinfluence.
Thequalityofourinteractionswithotherhumanbeingsfundamentallydeterminesourexperience.
TheexoticandthemundaneFormidablequestsLogaincontroloverthehumanmindhaveoftenemployedexotictechnology.
Exquisitetorturedevices,electroshocktherapy,mindalteringdrugs,hypnosis,andsensorydeprivationhaveallbeenusedtogettargetedpersonstodothebiddingofvariousagentsandagenciesofcontrol.
Indeed,thesemethodscarryenoughwalloptodistortandsometimesdestroythemind'snormalfunctioning.
ButtheyarenotadequateforthetaskofreliablyF-Andersen/Zimbardo4directingbehaviorthroughspecificscenariosasdesignatedbywould-bemanipulators.
JohnMarks'exposeoftheCIA'ssecretmindcontrolprogram(seeTheSearchforthe"ManchurianCandidate")suggeststhatnofoolproofwayof"brainIwashing"anotherpersonhaseverbeenfound.
Afteradecadeofintensive,Icostlyresearchintothetechnologyofsuchcontrol,theCIA'sMKULTRAprogramwasdeemedafailure.
Covertoperationscouldclaimlittlemorethanbeingcapableofturningunsuspectingvictimsinto"vegetables.
"Relyingontechnologywasthemistake.
Effectivemindcontrolexistsinthemostmundaneaspectsofhumanexistence:theinnerpressurestobebondedtootherpeople,thepowerofgroupnormstoinfluencebehavior,theforceofsocialrewards(suchassmiles,praise,agentletouch).
Weinfluenceoneanother,intentionallyorunintentionally,usingthemostbasicprinciplesofsocialpsychology,motivationandsociallearning.
Itispeopleinconvincingsocialsituationsandnotgadgetsorgimmicksthatcontrolthemindsofotherpeople.
Themoreworriedweareaboutbeingseenasignorant,uncultured,untalentedorboring,andthemoreambiguoustheeventsarethataretobeLaevaluated,themorelikelywearetotakeonthebeliefsofthosearoundustoavoidbeingrejectedbythem.
BasictrainingincomplianceWhatinsuresthesuccessofundesirablesocialinfluences,whethertheyinvolvebuyingnewproducts,enteringnewrelationships,orsimplymaintainingthestatusquoinacontraryenvironment,isourblindnesstothepotencythatsituationspossess.
Etiquetteandprotocolarepowerfulinhibitorsofuncon-ventionalaction.
Whenpeoplearoundusbehavealikeandastheyareexpectedto,itbecomesdifficultforustoevaluatetheiractionscriticallyortodeviatefromwhatisexpectedofusinthesituation.
Thekindsofsocialprogrammingweareallsubjectedtoinchildhoodcircumscribesourperception-ii,Andersen/Zimbardo5ofsuchbehavioralpossibilitieswithaneatcleave.
The"goodchild"learnshisplaceinallsocialsettings,staysputinherseat,ispolite,speaksonly41whenspokento,iscooperative,doesnotmaketrouble,andnevermakesascene.
IAschildrenwearerewardedforgoingalongwiththegroupandfornotinsistingongettingourway.
Itisthewisercourseofaction,wearetaught,togowith(oraround)power,nottochallengeit.
Bytakingsocialrolesforgrantedinacontext,wecanbeunwittinglyleditotakeoncompanionrolesinthevariousscenariosbeingenacted.
Ifshewantsjtoplay"guest,"webecome"host";ifheisquicktoassumeresponsibility,wepassivelysurrendersomeofourown;iftheyareacoupleinconflict,webecomemediator.
Andonceensconcedinsomesocialrole,ourbehavioralfreedomisIcompromisedinsubtleways.
Intervieweesanswerbutdon'taskquestions,guestsIdon'tdemandbetterfood,prisonersdon'tgivecommands,audienceslisten,"truebelievers"believe,rescuerssacrifice,toughguysintimidate,othersrecoilandsoon.
Expectationsaboutwhatbehaviorsareappropriateandpermis-siblewithinthestructureofarolecometocontrolusmorecompletelythanthemostcharismaticofpersuaders.
AsanationwesawintheWatergatecover-uphowthe"bestandthebrightest"cavedintothepressuresthatrequired"teamplayers"towinthisoneforthePresident.
Unquestionedprotocolpersuadedthemtobetraytheirpublicoffices.
Thosewhooccupysocialrolesthatcarryprestigeandcredibilityinoureyescanworkwonderswithus.
Themosrpotentinfluencesareeasedaroundtousbyourbuddiesorreputable"experts"--ratherthanbythosewhowethinkofas"enemies.
"Aneighbortellsustostopbyforachatwithsomeinterestingpeople,ourdoctorprescribesanewantibiotic,abusinessmanoffersusexcitingfinancialprospecLs,brothersayshe'simpressedwithanewpastor.
HindsighttellsusthatEuchtestimonialshaveencouragedustotakethefirststepalongmostofthepathswe'vechosenforourselves,goodandbadbecausesuchinfluencesarebasictobeings~Andersen/Zimbardo6engagedinthesociallifeofthecomuaity.
SaturationanddetachmentUnlikeourresponseto"overtly"persuasivecommunicatorswhomaybeseechustobuythelatestgourmetcookware,tojogdaily,toelectparticularpol--ticiansorgivetocertaincharities,situationswith"normalappearances"(seeGoffman,RelationsinPublic)don'tseemtorequireskepticism,resistanceorevenourconsciousattention.
Weoftenmovethroughthem"onautomatic"andarethuspronetobeinginfluencedw.
ithoutourslightestknowledge.
Tocounteractthispossibility,wecouldrefusetoplaysocialroles,toseeksocialrewards,joinorganixzedgroupsornoticemodeledbehaviors--butonlyifwearealsopreparedtowithdrawfronsocietyentirely.
Alternatively,wecouldchoosetodetachourselvesfromsomeaspectsofsociallifeemoionally,butthisusuallyhasthedrawbackofleavinguswithoutsocialsupport,friends,loversoranythinginwhichtobelieve.
Beingdetachedenoughtoobserveandanalyzeisintimatelytiedtosurvival,bututterdetachmentcanleadtoparanoia.
Aprisonerweknowofatafederalpenitentiary,forexample,whowasheldinsolitaryconfinementforseveralyears,toldushe"beatthesystem"byturningoffhisemoticsbeforetheycouldgettohim.
Nowhefeelsnothing.
.
Neitherself,humanity,norcompassion.
Ofcourse,continualemotional"saturation"isproblematictoo.
Rememberthelasttimeyougotsolostinyouranger,jcyorsadnessthatitsomehowgotthebestofyou.
Oratimewhenyouweresototallyenthralledwithanideaorsituationthatyoumisseda"cue"toexitthatyouwishyouwouldhaveseen.
Butyousimplydidn'trecognizeitorthinkaboutit.
Peopleincultsaretrainedtothinkpositivelyand"progra-atically"aboutwhattheydo.
Viewingone'sactionsfromavarietyofperspectivesisnotdone.
Ordersarefollowedandmuchinformationissystematicallywithheld.
Totakesomespecificexamples,prospectivePeoplesTempleandUnificationChurchmembershavebeenaskedto"opentheirminds"toexcitingnewidentities,tosaturatethemselveswithnewmeanings,asenseofbelonging,andtorefrainfrombeingjudgmental.
GuruMaharajJisuggestsliberationfromone'sownmindintheseterms:Anderasen/Zimbardo7"Somindreallygetstoyou,mindreallyaffectsyou,invery,verysubtleways,invery,verysubtlemanners.
Andwhatisthereason,thatIcomeoutandIscreamandIyell,'Don'tlistentoyourmind.
'Thereissomethingwithin,insideofyouwhichismuchmore.
jeautifulthanyourmind,whichismuchmoreprecious,whichismuchmorebeauti-fulthanthatcrazymind.
"Perhapswedon'twanttobewhollycriticalandalertatalltimes,butmindlessnessisoftenpromotedasawayofencouragingpassiveacceptanceattheexpenseofvigilanceandindividualdiscretion.
Thehookisthatwhenwearefacedwithcomplexproblemsweoftenyearnforsimpleanswersandrulesofthumbforhowbesttoproceed.
Imersingourselvesintheteachingsofapower-fulleader,inthesay-soofthedominantpartnerinarelationship,orinthetotalideologyofanyhighlycohesivegroupcanbecomforting.
Butwhenweloseourdesiretoformulateunique,creativeideasinanysituationwebegintoloseoursenseofselfthere.
Thorough,unquestitnedsaturationcanhinderourabilitytoevaluateouractionscriticallywhenitisinourbestintereststodogo.
Theproblemisparadoxical.
Although,detachingourselvesfromsociallifetoavoid"beingtaken"isobviouslyabsurd,themoreweopenuptootherpeople'sthoughtsthemorelikelywearetobeswayedbythem;andopen,passionateinvolvementisessentialtosomeoftherichestformsofhumanexperience.
Wewanttofeelstrongly,totrustcompletely,toactonimpulseandfeelconnectedtoothersinthecommunity.
Wewanttobe"saturated"withlivingandtofeelwecansuspend,forperiodsoftime,ourevaluativefaculties,-',rcautiousness.
Yetwemustbeabletopullbackandmonitorourexperiences,reflectuponthechoiceswehavemade,andassessthe"goodness"ofourinvolvements.
Oscillatingbetweenthesepoles,immersinganddistancingagainat"appropriate"intervalsisthepoint.
Thequestionis"when"Andersen/Zimbardo8IsitpossibletorecognizethosesocialinfluencesthatcandistortourintegrityandfreedomofchoiceamidthemanybenignbutpersuasivepressuresthatsurroundusdailyAndcanwethenacttoavoidorcounterthemWebelieveso.
Inthemostskillfullycontrivedsituationstheremaynotbeenoughinfor-mationforustoinferthatweareabouttobe"taken.
"Nevertheless,itispossibletoreduceoursusceptibilitytosuchunwantedcontrolbyincreasingourvigilanceandbyutilizingsomebasicstrategiesofanalysisthatwillpromoteclearthinking.
Atthepreventionstage,itisimportanttorecognizetheoperationofeffectivepersuasiontactics,andthenbeabletodealwiththemeffectivelyenoughtoknowwhatwearegettinginto.
Ourmostimportantdecisionatthisstageistoavoidtakingthatfirststep,ifwesochoose.
Onceinthesecondarystage--afteracommitmenttoanongoinginvolvementhasalreadybeenmadeandwe'reinoverourheads--beingcapableofrecognizingcontroltacticsattherystemlevelisthekeytogettingout.
Ifgettingoutisunfeasibleorundesirable,wemaysimplywanttobeabletomaintainourintegrityandsenseofselfinthesystem.
Ontheotherhand,wemaywanttochallengeitsstructuredirectlyfromwithin,orwithextensivesystemsofmindcontrol,fromwithout.
Thestrategiesthatfollowhavebeendrawnfromadiversebodyofinformation,including:extensivepersonalexperiencewithcultsandcultmembers;thebodyofpsychologicalresearchonpersuasionandattitudechange,social-cognitivemonitoringandsocialcognition;researchonthesituationalcontrolofbehavior,onsociallearningprinciplesofbehaviormodificationandself-control;trainingmanualsforpoliceinterrogators(seePsychologyToday,June,1967),andsalespersonnel;andourownpnraonalacquaintanceswitheffectiveconartistsandmiscellaneouswheeler-dealers.
DevelopingacriticaleveToassertthefreedomtochooseoptionsthatarenotapparentinanysituation,wemustbesimultaneouslycommictedcooursocialworldsandsuffi-cientlydisengagedfromthemtomaintainaLricicalanalysis.
Forthisreason,Andersen/Zimbardo9developingacriticaleyeiscentraltocounteractingcompellingsocialpressureswhethertheyoccurone-on-oneorwithinasocialsystem.
Toacquirethekindofsensitiveskepticismandcriticaleyeneededtodetectundesirableinfluenceswhentheyarise,wemustlearntobevigilanttodiscontinuitiesbetweentheidealspeopleespouseandtheirconcreteactions.
Separatingthepreacherfromthepractice,thepromisefromtheoutcome,theperceivedintentionfromtheconsequenceisatthecruxofresistancebecauseitistooeasytomistakethelabelforthethinglabeled,todealinsymbolsandconceptsInsteadofpeopleandtheirbehavior.
Manynotablepoliticians,forexample,gavetheirsupporttopastorJimJoneswithoutquestioningt7hyhewassurroundedbyahalfdozenguards,whyhischurchhadlockeddoors,andwhynewcomersweresearchedbeforebeingapprovedbytheWelcomingCommittee.
PeoplesTemplemembersadmired"Dad"becausehecaredforthemandbecausehesaidhecaredmostofallaboutthechildren.
But=theyfailedtocriticallyappraiseortoevenacknowledgetherealitythathepunishedthemseverely(attimeswithelectricshock)andsubjectedthemtopublicridiculeforminortransgressions.
Thebiggestliesareoftenhiddenbyacompellingcontextandarediscoveredlateronthebasisofdiscontinuitiesthatinhindsightareobvious.
Theunanti-cipatednightmareoftheslavelaborcampJimJonescreatedinGuyanathrivedonhissystematicdistortionofeverydetailoftherealityofJonestown:therewasmildweather,hesaid,anabundanceoffood,nomosquitos,easyworkdays,nosickness,nodeath.
Thediscontinuitiesweretheretobeperceived.
"ThemomentIgotoffthatplaneIknewsomethin'waswrong,"saidRichardClark,wholedanescapepartyoutofJonestownthroughthejunglethemorningofthemassacre.
Itwastheoppositeofwhathadbeenpromised--ajunglehellwherepeopleworkedlonghoursonmenialjobsinswelteringheat,oftenhungryandsick.
ButdenialenmasseoftheseobviousdiscrepancieskeptJones'systemoftotalmindcontrolgoinguntiltheveryend.
AccordingtoMargaretSinger'sextensivestudiesof*Andersen/Zimbardo10formercultmembers(seePsychologyToday,January,1979),thosewholeftcultswithouttheaidofdeprogrammersdidsobecausetheyhad"grownbitteraboutdiscrepanciesbetweencultwordsandpractices.
"Actually,comparingtheconcealedpurposeofacommunicationtoitsmanifestcontentisoneofthecentraltasksinanalyzingpropaganda.
Itisnotunlikedecodingwhatwethinkofas"Freudianslips"wheretheideaistodistinguishbetweenthe"error"thatconveysthespeaker'sintentionandhisadmonitionthatitwas"Justanerror.
"Toooftenweoverlookblatantdiscrepanciesbyautomaticallysupplyingsemanticcorrectionsthatrenderstatementsorsituationsinto"goodform,"thusIallowingcontextstocoveroverdiscontinuities.
IBecauseeffectivemanipulatorsprovideascoherentasituationaspossibleinwhichtogainourcompliance,detectingdiscrepentorulteriormotivesisdifficult.
Althoughbecomingobsessivelycriticalorsuspiciouswouldbedysfunctional,carefullyappraisingthecredibilityofamessagesourceandthequalityofanappealmakessense.
Mostpersuadersrecognizetheimportanceofstandardoperatingprocedures,formandstyleinundercuttingourabilitytoapprehend"unexpected"eventsorinfluences.
AccordingtosociologistIrvingGoffman,theyconcealtheirintentamid"normalappearances.
"Wearemorelikelytobecaughtoffguardwhenthesituationsweareinappearnormal.
Saywe'reJust"havingfun"withfriends,orbeing"entertained"or"educated,"oraresimplyengagedinacommonsocialinterac-tion.
Weusuallyfeelnoneedtoattendtothedetailsofwhatisgoingon,ofwhoisinfluencingwhomandofwhatisimpactinguponourbehavior.
Butmanyundesirablesaeialpressurespreyuponouradherencetosimple,unquestionedprotocolinsuchsituations.
InformationfromRapePreventio.
nters,forexample,suggeststhatitisespeciallyimportantforwomentobeawareoftheeffectsof"normalappearances.
Enteringdangeroussituationswithpotentialrapistsmayseem"natural,"tantamounttobeingpoliteorhelpful,whenyouhavebeentrainedtobeladylike.
Answeringallquestionsputtoyouwithafriendlygracioussmileoralwaysdeferringtotheprotectionandjudgmentofmen,evenwhentheyarestrangers,isnotthebestidea.
Andersen/Zimbardo11Norisbeingcourteousandopenwithservicepersonnelattheexpenseofrequestingproperidentification.
Beingabletodisobeysimplesituationalruleswhenwefeelweshouldisimportantformenaswellasforwomen.
Itrequiresassertiveness,andleastwise,acriticalevaluationofthesituation.
*Activelymonitorsocialinteractions.
Establishacriticaldistanceperiodicallytoexaminesituationsfromotherperspectives.
Searchforsituationalpressuresinyourphysicalandsocialsurroundings,forthesmalldetailsaswellasthebigpicture.
Practicethinkingahead,anticipatingwhatwillcomenext,checkingfordiscrepanciesandnotinghowyoufeelaboutthem.
*Bewillingtodisobeysimplesituationalruleswhenyoufeelyoushould,tosoundfalsealarmsoccasionallyortocauseascene.
Neverdoanythingyoudon'tbelieveJusttoappearnormalortogetsomeoneoffyourback.
Beabletorecognizetheconditionsunderwhichyouaremostvulnerabletoacceptingpersuasiveappeals(theconditionswewilldescribeinthenextsection).
Shouldapotentpersuasiontacticbepresentinasituation,postponemakingadecisiononthematter,ifpossible,orbeabletosay"no.
"*Attheveryleast,trytogetmoreinformationsothatyoucancarefullyconsidertheconsequencesofsaying"no"tosomethingthatcouldturnoutessentially"good"(Couldyoureturninaweekorayearandsay"yes")orofsaying"yes"tosomethingthatcouldturnouressentially"bad"(Couldyouloseyourmoney,prideorlife).
Obtainandutilizeallavailableinformationandsearchfornew,reliablesources.
Resistingpersuasion:confidence,clarityandpersistenceEffectivepersuadersnotonlyinfluencepeople,theywinfriends"inthebargain.
"Afterinte-.
siveinterrogationforthemurderoftwosocialities,GeorgeWhitemore,Jr.
"broke"andgavea61-pageconfessionofguilt.
Hewentontoexpresshisadmirationforhisinterrogator,adetective,whomhenowclaimedtorespectmorethanhisownfather.
SubsequenteventsestablishedthatWhitmorewaspersuadedtoconfesstoacapitalcrimehedidnotcommit.
Andersen/Zimbardo12ThebestpersuadersalwaysappeartobeJustlikeus.
Theyunderstandourproblems,empathizewithourpredicaments;infact,theywerethereoncethem-2selves.
Theyspeakourlanguage,shareourneeds,andknowtheinsidejokes.
Whensomeoneappearstoshareourconcerns,heorshebecomesacohort,anally,someonewecantrustandgivethebenefitofthedoubt.
Thetacticispowerfulbecauseattitudechange,likeallsocialization,ismosteffectivewhenitgoesIunnoticed.
Theconversationisslowlyledintoareaswhereourdisagreementwculdotherwisebeobvious.
Credibilityleadsusgentlyovereachsuccessivehurdleaswechangeourattitudesthroughsmall,continuousapproximations.
Intheend,weperceivethatwehavebroughtitaboutonourown.
Checkforsignsofingratiation,foranoveremphasisonmutualinterests,andforrequestsforjustonesmallcommitmentnow-withanopen-endedcontractforlater.
HowdeepdothestatedsimilaritiesgoHowwelldoesthepersuaderreallyknowthecommonfriendyousupposedlyshareAstrivialasitmayseem,amajorpersuasivedeviceistheexpressionLofconfidenceinthebeliefsespousedandcoursesofactionrecommended.
Researchshowsthatpowerfulpeopleexpressconfidenceandself-assurednessacrossallchannelsofcommunication--throughbodylanguage,throughwordsandparalinguis-tically.
Regardlessofsomeone's"real"credibility,whatweenduprespondingtoishowcompetent,confidentandstableheorshe"appears"tobe.
Someonewholooksusstraightintheeye,standsverycloseandspeaksforcefullyisnotintimidated,butintimidating,andperfectlyincontroloftheencounter.
Inreaction,thosewhogetpersuadedexpressdoubt;theydosoasmuchbywhattheysayasbywhattheydon'tsay.
Minorhesitationslike"uh,""ah,""er,"Jorapausecanbecapitalizeduponandmanipulatedbecausetheyconveymomentary.
lapsesofthought,momentaryvulnerabilities.
Thewaywecarryourselvesisalsorevealing.
Infact,trainingmanualsforsalespersonnelarefilledwithtacticsfori-1Andersen/Zimbardo131skillfullymanipulatingthechoicespeoplecometomakeinbargainingsituations.
Anddesiredresultsareobtained.
MillionsofAmericansaresubjectedtostresslandintimidationinthepresenceofthosewhomsocietyhastermed"expert.
"Automobilemechanics,forexample,oftenmakethousandsofdollarseachyearforlaborandIsuppliestheydon'tdeliver.
Lastyear,overtwomillionAmericansunderwentsurgicaloperationsthattheydidnotneed(atacostofoverfourbilliondollars).
BecauseIitisdifficulttofeelefficaciousaroundpeoplewhoostensiblyhavemoreknowledgeIthanwedo,weareofteninhibitedfromaskingtheappropriatequestions,fromthinkingcriticallyandcrefullyaboutdecisionsthatmayaffectourlives.
*Practice"seeingthrough"programmedresponsestoauthority.
Payattentiontothesocialrolesyouandothersoccupyinasettingandthesubtleindicatorsofthoserolesthatyoumayberespondingto(businesssuit,repairman'suniform,etc.
).
I*Beawareofwhoiscontrollingwhominsocialsituations,towhatendandatwhatcost.
*Totheextentthatitseemspossible,refusetoaccepttheinitialpremisefromsomeonethatheorsheismorepowerful,morecompetent,moreincontrolthanyouare.
Perhapsacceptingthispremiseiswhatmakesitso.
*Stateyourargumentswithconvictioniftheotherpersondoesso.
*Learntoretainasenseofself-worthinthefaceofintimidatingcircum-stancesbycreatingan"appearanceofcompetence"equaltothatwhichaneffectivepersuaderconveysthroughhisorhervoiceandactions.
Carrywithyouapowerful,concreteimage,repletewithtactilesensations,sightsandsounds,thatremindsyouofyourowncompetence.
RememberatimewhensomepersonorgroupofpeoplethoughtyouwerethebestthingItohittheplanet,aviolinifyouareavirtuoso,aphotograph,personorplace,anythingthatmakesyoufeelexhilaratedandalive,thatyouwillnotrevealtoothersbutwillretainasaninnercarethatcannotbeviolated.
ApparentcompetencecanreducefeelingsofhelplessnessinAndersen/Zimbsrdo14stressfulsituations.
Asthedialogueorsetofactionsunfolds,theneedfortheimagefades.
Ifyoucangetyourquestionsasked,yourbargainingdone,experienceshad,youwillhavemorecontroloveryouractionsandthechoicesthatothersmakeonyourbehalf.
bindcontroltypicallyinvolvescomingtoacceptanewreality.
Theerrorsofouroldwaysoflookingattheworldareexposedassuch,andanewrealityisembeddedintheirplace.
Byconfusinguswithelaboratebutinadequatejustificationsforrecommendedactions,persuaderscancatchusoffguard.
Falseanalogies,semanticdistortionandconvenientrhetoricallabelscanfacilitatethisprocessifwedonotstoptoquestionthemandthinkaboutthemcreatively.
Weareoftendissuadedfromprobingbeyondsurfaceillusionsofmeaningfulnessbylettingsymbolssubstituteforreality,abstractmapsforconcreteterritories.
JohnDeanremindsusthattheentireWatergatecover-upwasshroudedincuteeuphemisms,jargonandrhetoric.
Insteadofreferringexplicitlytothemoneyinvolvedinthescandal,theyspokeonlyofthe"bitesoftheapple.
"Attheextreme,itiseasierto"wasteanenemy"ortoenagein"revolutionaryprotest"thantomurderotherhumanbeings.
Inconsistentorambiguousdescriptionswithconfusingterminologycanleadustoacceptinvalidconclusionsthatwewouldotherwiseresist.
Currentresearchonmetacomprehension,byStanfordUniversity'sEllenMarkman,revealsthatthisispreciselywhatmanychildrendo.
Theyareabletounderstandthesimplercomponentpartsofacomplexmessagesotheyoverestimatetheircomprehensionofitasawholeandacceptitasadequate.
Webelievethiscanalsobetrueofadults.
*Neveracceptvaguegeneralitiesandinadequateexplanationsinresponsetoyourpleas,questionsorchallenges.
*Learntorecognizewhenamessageisactuallyconfusedorambiguous(andperhapsintentionallyso)sothatyoucanavoidattributingyourconfusiontoyour"inherent"inabilitytothinkaboutthematterclearly.
Especially.
.
.
.
.
5-iII-IIiIi.
.
.
:IiIi::Andersen/Zimbardo15Zifsomeonesuggeststhat"you'rejusttoostupidtounderstand"or"womengettooemotionaltothinklogically.
"Interrogateyourselfaboutthemeaningofacommunicationtoseeiftheconclusionsfollowfromthearguments,andiftheexpectationsyouformwhilelisteningareconfirmedordisconfirmed.
Paraphraseotherpeople'sthoughtsbothaloudandtoyourselftoseeifyouareunderstandingclearly.
Practicegeneratingcreativeargumentsandcounterargumentsasyoulistentopersuasivemessagestoavoidslippinginto"automatic"processing.
*Tentativelyassessthemeaningofanambiguoussituationorcommunicationonceyouhavesomereliableinformationbutdon'tforgetthattheassessmentistentative.
Labelitassuchandwaitforfurtherclarification.
*Alwaysseekoutsideinformationandcriticismsbeforejoiningagroupormakingacommitmenttoinvesttime,energyormoneyinsomeendeavor.
Trainyourselfandyourchildrentonoticethe"tricks"indeceptivein*'onpackaging,suchaathoseutilizedintelevisioncommercials.
StanfordU.
.
,*sity'sDonRobertshaafoundthatknowledgeofmake-believeconstructions,ofaudio-visualdistortiontechniques,theuseofcelebrities,experts,overgeneralizationsandsooncanbuildthekindofskepticisminchildrenwhichisthefroint-lineofallresistanceefforts.
CultdeprogrammerTedPatrickechoesasimilarsentimentinadvocatinghowbesttoinsulateourselvesfrommindcontrol:"Knowledgeisouronlyprotection.
"Susceptibilitytocontrolbecomesgreateras"compulsive"self-awarenessincreases.
Whenweareinducedtofocusaztentiononourselvesbybeingmadetofeelawkward,deviantorsilly,webegintoworryaboutwhatothersthinkofus,andcanthusbeledtoresolveanyopiniondisparitiesintheirfavor.
Attheextreme,MansonfamilymemberLeslieVanHoutendescribedCharlesHansonascontrollinghisfollowersthroughunrelentingintimidationandstrictisolation.
"Iwasalwaysfrightenedofnotbeingacceptedeveninschool,"she.
.
.
i--iii1rii-iiIIAndersen/Zimbardo16reported.
"ButCharlieplayedonthat;hesawadangerinmyhumorendoutgoing-ness.
.
.
.
He'dtrytomakemefeel.
wasmissingsomething.
HesaidIdidn'tknowwhatwashappeningandthatIwasreallystupid.
"*Besensitiveto(andavoid)situationsandpeoplethatputyouonthespot,makeyoufeeldifferent,awkwardorinadequate.
*Trytofocusattentiononwhatyouaredoingratherthanonthoughtsaboutyourself.
Keepanespeciallyfirmhandleongeneratingnegativeinternaldialoguesaboutyourself,andneveracceptachronicallynegativeviewfromsomeoneelse.
*Maintainsomenon-socia.
intereststhatyoucansatisfywhileyouarealone--likepainting,carpentry,workingoncars,readingorwriting.
Ifyoucandevelopaconcretesenseofself-worth,asenseofwhoyouare,whatyouareinterestedinandwhereyourcompetencieslie,quiteapartfromthevalues,interestsandjudgmentsofothers,youmayfeelbetteraboutur-Jselfintheirpresence,aswellasintheirabsence.
*Bewillingtolookfoolishnovandthen,atoacceptbeing"differant"asbeing"special"ratherthaninferior.
Effectivepersuasiveappealsgettheirumphbyreachingbeyondreasontoemotions,beyondawarenesstounspokendesires.
fears,beyondtrivialattitudesAtobasicconcernsaboutselfintegrityandsurvival.
CleverpersuadersareadeptItatdetectingwhatwewantfromasituation,whatcurfearsandanxietiesare,andwhatareasofsupposedmutualinterestwillbestgainourattention.
Oncesome-onehasourtrust,heorshecanchangeourattitudesbyinducinganemotion-ladenconflictthatrequiresimmediateresolution.
Bymakingusfeelfearfuloranxious,themanipulatorisinapositiontoeaseourdiscomfortbyprovidingreasonableexplanationsandsoothingsolutions.
Muchadvertisingisbasedonthisprinciple.
Soaremanysocialinteractions.
a______711Andersen/Zimbardo17Arecent60Mutesdocumentary(1/28/79)reportedthatsellersofIndustrialInsurancehavetheirworkingclassclientsnearlyparalyzedwithfearoverspiral-lingmedicalandburialcosts.
Butreliefisathandasthesalespersonunfoldstheinsurancepoliciesthatwillresolveanyuncertaintiesthefuturemayhold.
Iftheclientownsotherpolicies,theygounmentionedoraredismissedasinadequate.
Allthatisclearistheimminenceofdeathandaneight-inchreplicaofasatin-linedmahoganycoffininthehandsofacredible-lookingbusinessmanwhoaddsinadeepclearvoice,"Wouldn'tyoupreferyourlovedonetorestinabeautifulcasketlikethisthantobeburiedinanoldpinebox"Acrucialissueconcerningourneedsandvulnerabilitiesisif,whenandhowtorevealthem.
N',matterwhattherelationship,avoidgettingsuckedintounwantedconfessionsthatmaylaterbeusedagainstyou.
Manycultsandmindcontrolsystemsutilizepublicconfessions,self-exposure"games"anutheliketocataloguetheweaknessesoftheirfollowers,forlaturerploitation.
Avoidmakingdecisionswhenunderstress,particularlyinthepre-senceofthepersonwhohastriggeredtheemotionalreaction.
Tellthemyou'lldecidemanana.
*Asyoufeelyourselfbecominguncomfortablyaroused,begintakingslower,deeperbreathstohelpyourbodyrelax.
Imaginetheairflowingthroughyourmusclesandlooseningthetensioninyourshoulders,thebackofyourneck,yourupperarms,anddownthroughyourchest,abdomenandlowerback.
Relax.
Knawingfeelingsofguiltcanalsoprovideapowerfulimpetusforpersonalchange.
Whatbetterwaytocreateasenseofself-disgust,adesiretoconfess,todopenanceorperhapseventoexperiencesufferingSimplybeinginthepresenceofthoselessfortunatecanoftendothetrick,particularlyifwearesomehowmadetofeelresponsiblefortheirplight.
ProfessionalbeggarsmakeAnderaea/Zimbardo18ittheirbusinesstomakepassersbyfeelguiltyforbeingwelldressedandwellfed.
Organizationsthatsupportthemselvesthroughdonationsoftenthriveupontheproceedscollectedbymildlyhandicappedsolicitors.
Morebroadly,thepivotalcontingencyinPattyHearst'spsychologicaltransformationatthehandsoftheSymbioneseLiberationArmywastheguiltshewasledtofeeloverherfamily'sprivilegedposition,thedisparicybetweentheirwealthandthepovertyofsomany,andherlifeofnoninvolvementinthestruggleofoppressedpeoples.
Allconflictswereslowlyrelievedwitheachstepshetookinthedirectionofacceptinghercaptors'definitionofreality.
Lettingsomeonedofavorsforyoucanalsomakeyoufeelindebtedandg'iity.
DianeLoule,whoescapedJonestownwithRichardClarkthemorningofthemassacre,recountedforusherexperienceinthehospitalthere.
Shewassufferingfromasevereintestinalvirus,feelingdupedanddissatisfiedwhenJimJonescametoherbedside.
"Howareyourlivingconditions"heasked.
Sheshifteduncomfortablyinhercottryingnottoraisehereyestohim.
"Isthereanyspecialfoodyouwouldlike"Shethoughtofherstifling,crowdedbungalow,themaggotsinherrice,herexhaustion,thebrokenpromises.
"No,"shesaid,"everythingisfine;I'mquitecomfortable.
"Tousshesaid,"Iknewoncehegavemethoseprivilegeshe'dhaveme.
Ididn'twanttoowehimnothin'.
"Shewasoneofahandfulabletoescapethemassmurderandsuicide.
*Beawareoftheguiltandanxietyreactionsyoutypicallyexperiencesothatyoucancircumventtheirillicitusebyskillfulmanipulators.
Learningtoconfrontyourfrustrationsaadfearsisthemostpotentwaytopreventtheirbeingexploitedunbeknownsttoyou.
Startbythinkingabouttheleastprovokingaspectsofproblematicsituationswhileinaiteoftotalrelaxation,andworkuptomoredifficultones*Don'tletpeoplemakeyoufeelindebtedtothembyacceptingadefinitionofasituationthatsuggestssacrificesarebeingmadeonyourbehalf.
AlthoughreciprocalexploitationandneedfulfillmentarepartofeveryAndersen/Zimbardo19socialcontract,whenyoufeelJustifiedindoingso,bepreparedtoacknowledgethesacrificesofotherswithasincerethanks,insteadoftheexpectedrepaymentinkind.
Whentheoppositionisabouttoyield,successfulpersuadersemploytacticsofingratiationtobuildthebondsoflikingandrespectthatwillextendpasttheinitialsale.
Onceawarethattheirpreyisbagged,theslickestoperatorsthenemphasizethevictim'sfreedomofchoice-aftertactfullyconstrainingthealternatives.
Thenewlypersuadedpersonchooses"freely"whilethecontexttheinfluencerprovidesbolstershisorherdecision.
Properlyexecutedpersuasionneverappearstobe"designed"toinducechange,butratherendsinanaturalresolutionofmutuallygeneratedconcerns.
Newattitudesandbehaviorsthatareaccompaniedbythefeelingthattheyhavebeenchosenwithoutextrinsicjustificationareenduringandresistanttochange.
SkillfulpersuadersmayalsoZusourfreedominordertocontrolourbehaviorwiththehelpofthereactanceprinciple.
StudiesbypsychologistJackirehmsuggestthatwhenweperceiveseverelimitationsonourbehavioralfreedomwesometimesmovetoreassertitbyadvocatingtheoppositeposition--perhapsjustwhattheoppositionwanted.
"So,you'regonnaletthatguy(ornation)getawaywithtreatingyouinthatshamefulway!
""Nosalesmancouldpossiblysellmoreofthisproductinsuchhardtimes!
""Excusemeforsayingso,sir,butthisisquiteaaexclusiveline;youmaynotbeabletoaffordit.
"*Rememberthatreactingagainstsomeone'sdogmaticassertionsaboutwhatyoushoulddoisnotyoursoleavenuetofreedomofaction.
Sometimesitisbesttotesttheirintentionsbygivingthemtheimpressionyouwillcomplywiththeirdemandsandthenobservingtheirreactions.
Iftheystartpushingintheoppositedirectionorsimplylookbefuddled,youmayhaveuncoveredahiddenagenda.
*BewaryofpeoplewhooveremphasizehowfreeyouaretochooseamongtheAndersen/Zimbardo20optioustheyhaveprescribed.
ElectingAnacinoverBayerisnotthesameasdecidingwhetheryouwantanaspirin.
Noristhequestion,"HowmanybombsshouldwedropTwoThreeTen"thesameas"Shouldwedropanybombs"Testthelimitsofyouroptionsbyselecting"noneoftheabove"orproposingunexectedalternatives,atleasttentatively,especiallywhenyoucreatethemyourselfandbelievetheyarebetter.
Resistingsystems:voice,exitorrebellionWhensocialpersuasionmovesintothebigtime,one-on-oneconfidencegamesarenoteconomical.
Thebehavioroflargenumbersofpeoplemustbemanagedefficiently.
Forthisreason,persuadersdevelopsystemsofcontrolthatrelyonbasicrulesandrolesofsocializationandthatimpartasenseofbelonging.
Wheninteractionamongpeopleisrestrictedtointerchangebetweentheirsocialroles,however,itbecomeseasierforethical,moralandhumanconcernstotakeabackseat.
Becausewemaybeostracisedfromorganizationsthatmeansomethingtous,perhapsfiredfromourjobsfornotcomplyingwiththerequestsofoursuperiors,sometimesrefusingtoperformactionsweperceivetobeunethicalcanbedifficult.
WhenJohnDeanrefusedtoparticipateintheWatergatecover-upafterhehimselfhadworkedtoinitiateit,alongwithhiscroniesandthePresidentoftheUnitedStates,hehadtopartwayswithsomeofthemostcherishedassumptionsofsociety:hequestionedthemoralityofPresidentialorders.
AccordingtoDean,thiswouldneverhavebeendonehaditnotbeendonetoprotectapresident.
AndforalongtimeIhadtroubleseparatingthemanfromtheoffice.
"NaziwarcriminalAdoplphEichmann'saccountofhisactionsduringWorldWarIIisnotunrelated:"Iwasjustdoingmyjobinfollowingorders.
"NoristheproblemfacedbysubjectsinMilgram'sobedienceexperimentsunrelated.
Howevergeneralizablethesubjects'behaviorintheseexperimentsmaybe,normalpeopleapparentlyinflictedpainful,potentiallylethaldosesofelectricshocktoastrangerattheinsistenceofacredible"scientist"inalea.
'ningexperiment.
'l.
.
.
.
iI]i'tAndersen/Zimbardo21Tightly-structuredsituationsaredangerouswhenwelosesightofwhoweare,whenweforgetthatwehavefeelingsandhistoriesotherthanthoseproSram-medbytheimediatesettingandtherolesweareledtoplayinit.
Inordertoavoidslippingintoactsthatviolateourintegrity,wemustbe"present"inoursocietalandinstitutionalrolesasdistinctiveindividuals.
Knowingwhentoescapefromanoppressiveordangeroussituation,oralternatively,whento-organizeandrebelwithothers,requiresthatwelearntoquestiontherulesIotherslaydownforusandthatwearealerttorole-basedconstraintsonouractions.
Extendingourfieldofvisiontoincludeframesofreferenceotherthanthoseprescribedfacilitatesourmakingthoughtfuldecisionsinsituations]thatdon'tencourageindependentthinking.
3*Testforthepresenceofstatedandunstatedrulesthatunnecessarilyrestrictfreedomofspeech,actionandassociation.
Bysubtlyviolatingsomeoftherulesandrolesandthenobservingtheconsequences,youmaydiscoverhowmuchlatitudeisallowedforidiosyncracyinthesystem,foreccentricorcreativeself-expression.
*Resistthelureofuniformsandotherdisguisesthatmakeyoulooklikeoneofthebunch.
I*Developasenseofhumoraboutyourselftominimizeuttersaturationinyourroleinthesystem,toretaiuacreativeviewofyoursituation,andtogainsomeexperiencedealingwithyourapparentweaknesseswithoutundueanxiety.
*Listentocriticismsofyourmostcherishedbeliefsandinstitutions.
Knowthem,butdon'tacceptthemuncritically.
Allowyourselftoconfronttheissuessoyoucancarefullygaugetheirmerit,andperhapsseeeventsnotonlyasthesvtemsyouareinexpectyoutoseethem,but"astheyare.
"Retainyoursens:ofindividualintegrityinthesystembycallingothersbynameandreferringtoyourselfbyname.
Ifpeoplearetypicallyreferredtobytitle,tryaddingtheirfirstorlastnametotheconventionaladdress,Andersen/Zimbardo22abbreviatingitcasually,orsomehowreformulatingthetypicalapproachsothatitdrawsuponthemashumanbeingsinsteadofasobjectsthatmerelyserveinstrumentalends.
*Makeanefforttodiscoverthepersonbehindtherole,torespondtosomeone'suniqueness,ratherthantoastereotypedroleimpression.
*Disclosepersonalobservationsaboucyoursurroundingsandaboutexperiencesyou'vehadelse.
heretothoseyoufeelmightshareyourviews.
Elicitfeelingsandideasfromthemsothattogetheryoucandisengagethe"scripts"thatspecifythebasic,unquestionedrulesofthesetting.
*Rememberthatignoringsocialrolesisnoteasyandissometimesmetwithcensure.
Themoreridiglystructuredoursocialroleenactments,thelessambiguitywemustfaceinthesocialworld.
Butacceptingacertainamountofambiguityisthecruxofspontaneityandflexibility.
Treatedlikeamachineitismuchtooeasytobecomeone.
S*Takenoteofonecaution:masterfulpersuadersalwayswantustorevealourtrueselves,ourtrueneedsanddesires,tofeelathomewiththem.
Youmaynotwanttorevealmorethanothersrevealtoyou,oryoumayatleastwanttotaketheprocessslowly.
(Soundfamiliar)Whenagroupofpeoplebecomesmorepreoccupiedwithseekingandmaintainingunanimityofthoughtthanwithcarefullyweighingtheprosandconsofalternativeactions,raisingmoralissuesandcriticallyappraisingdecisions,unanimousresolutionsareoftenreachedprematurely.
Andaspartofthepackage,membersmaybeledtosupportthesedecisionsforbetterorforworse.
Whentightly-knitgroupsareinsulatedfromoutsidesourcesofinformationandexpertiseandtheirleadersendorseprospectivepoliciesbeforemembershaveachancetoairtheirviews,decision-makingprocessesdeteriorate.
StudiesofthedynamicscfPresidentialcabinetmeetingsduringtheJohnsonandKennedyadministrati)ns!
f--,=-,-iTTAndersen/Zimbardo23revealedjustthispattern.
TheBayofPigsfiascowasbutoneoftheblunderingoutcomes.
PsychologistIrvingJanistermedtheprocess"Groupthink.
"*Actually,beinginvitedtocontributetoadiscussioninanygroupmakesusmorelikelytogoalongwichult.
mategroupdecisions,evenwhentheyviolateourpriorpostures.
Participantlearningisoneofthemostpowerfulmeansofgainingknowledgeandchangingattitudes.
Butitistheimpressionthatwearepartofadecision-makingprocessthatbindsustoitsproduct;andimpressionsarereadilymanaged.
Itisoftenjustourvote,ourmoneyorsweatthatissoughttocarryoutsomeoneelse'sdecisions.
Inextremecases,asystemmaybedesignedtocreatevulnerabilityanddependencebyslowlyandinsidiouslydestroyingtheindividualmember'sknowledgeofself.
Whenweareisolatedfromchosewecareabout,fromoursenseofself-continuity,webegintofeelamorphousanduprooted,andtheprocessrendersusmoresusceptibletothehandsofmakers-over.
Isolatingfeelingsfromintellectualconcernsservesasimilarfunction.
Persuadersbringustotheirplaceofpower,separatethegoodoraware"us"fromtheevil,ignorant"them,"andthenproceedtolimitouraccesstoideasthattheyfindheretical,traitorousornotintheirbestinterests.
ThiscanbetrueofinterpersonalrelationshipsJustasitcanbetrueofmembershipsinsocialinstitutions,groupsororganizations.
Whenweareisolatedfromoutsideinformationitisimpossibletomakeunbiaseddecisions.
Policeinterrogatorsquestionsuspectsatthestation,notattheirhomes.
Synanonrehabilitatesalcoholicsanddrugaddicts(andkeepsitsothermembersinline)byremovingthemfromtheirusualhauntsandrestrictingtheirliberty.
JimJonesisolatedPeoplesTemplemembersinthejungleofastrangeland.
Whenwecometobelievesothoroughlyinourfavoriteconceptsthatwebegintohatethosewhodon'tshareourviews,todeveloprehearsedprogrammaticresponsestodiscreditingargumentsandtoacknowledgeonlyideasstatedwithinourterminology,itmaybetimetostartmakingourbeliefsystems1A4Andersen/Zimbardo24alittlemorepermeable.
NothingissouiApleasthelabels"good"and"evil"suggest.
oreover,theyfosteruttervulnerabilitytothesystemthatistermed*Trytoestablishwhetheryoucanactuallyhaveanimpactupondecision-makingprocessesinarelationshiporgroup,orwhetheryouaresimplypartoftheclean-upcrewfordecisionsthathavealreadybeenmade.
Watch7forprematureclosureorinitialconsensuswhilediscussinganissue.
Whatarbitraryconstraintsareplacedonthealternativ.
stobeconsideredDorigidproceduraldeviceslimitdiscussionandsuppressunusualsuggestionsS*Refusetoacceptthe"e"-"they"dichotomythatcutsyouofffromoutsidersandsuggestsyoushouldthinkofthemintermsofdehumanizinglabelslikeanimals,sinners,queers,rednecks,women'slibbers,theteamingmasses,andsoon.
*Suspectappealsthatencourageyoutodetachyourfeelingsfromtherestofyourbeing;asserttheharmonyofmind-body,intellectandemotion,pastandpresent.
*Trytoencourageindependentthinkingamonggroupmembers(assuggestedbythestrategiesintheprevioussection).
Solidifychannelsoffeedbackbetweenmembers,betweenmembersandleadersandfromoutsideevaluatorstothegroup.
*Rememberthattheminoritymayattimeshavetheonlyaccurateviewofitheissues.
Anyworthwhilegroupshouldtoleratedissentorbeabandoned.
*Allowyourselftoquestioncommitmentsiftheyarenolongerappropriateforyou.
Consistencyinthefaceofcontraryevidenceisusuallynotavirtuebutasignofrigidity,delusionorprejudice.
Makeanefforttoadmitpasterrorsandtoacknowledgeoldbeliefsandcomitmentsthatprovedlimitingforyou.
*Continuallyseekoutsideinformation,realitychecksandcriticalappraisalsI!
,ofwnatyouaredoing.
,iAndersen/Zimbardo2Maintainoutsideinterestsandsourcesofsocialsupportandre.
jecttheappealthatdevotiontothecauserequiresseveringtiestooutsiders.
Batteredwives,religiousconverts,undercoveragents,mafiainformantsandinmatesofprisonsandmentalhospitalsallsufferfromimpoverishedconnectionstooutsidesystems,*Familyandfriendsshouldleavethepathbackhomeopen.
Yourunconditionalaccessibilitytothosewhohavestrayed,nomatterwhatthey'vedoneorsaid,maybetheironlyhope.
Disowningchildren,friendsorrelativeswhenyoudisapproveoftheirdecisicniismuchlesseffectiveinthelongrunthanagentlehandandsomewarmwvrds.
"Love-bombing"isthefavoritetacticofmostcults,becauseitworksbestamongthelove-deprived--thosewehavenotgivenlove.
Thetighterasystemis,themorelikelythatminorchallengeswillbemetwithretaliation.
Inprisons,mentalhospitals,religiousorpoliticalcults,militaryestablishments,concentrationscampsandsoon,peoplehavevirtuallytotalcontrolovertheexistenceofothersandminordeviationsorthreatstothatpowerareintolerable.
Actually,"perceivedthreat"iswhatallpoliticalrelation-shipsareabout.
Whenourexistenceisthreatenedandwethinkwehaveachancetosurvive,we'llfightforit.
Ifwethencometothreatentheverystructureofacoercivesystem,itislikelytoretaliatebypursuingthetactic,"divideandconquer,"orperhaps,"promote.
"Bygivingusstatusandresponsibility,thesystemarrangesthatneedsnolongerrunatcross-purposes.
Oursareco-optedforitssakesothatasdissidentswewillnotrevolt.
Butwhenmaintainingthestatusquoisnotpalatable,themainquestioniswhetherchangingthesystemisfeasible.
ThosewhosurvivedJonestowndidsobyescapingitsgrasp.
Andsomesystemshavetimeontheirside;theycanwaitouttheoppositionandhavetheirofficerspaidfordoingso.
Supportersofthestatusquoareemployedwhilethose-rAndersen/Zimbardo26AIwhoopposedosoasoutsiderspart-timeandstruggletomakeendsmeet.
Inany1case,itisoftenmorepracticaltochallengesystemsfromwithout--especiallybyformingothersystems.
A*Don'tletyoursilencepassforagreementwiththesystem.
Whiletalkingtoothers,subtlyimplyyourdiscontentinareaswhereyouthinktheymightagree.
Avoidincriminatingyourselfcompletelyinthefaceoftheirutterresolvebyintuitingtheirresponsesasyouspeakandoversteppingonlythoserulesthatareofleastnoncerntothesystem.
*Onceyouestablishagroupofalliesanddecidethatyoucannotescapethesystemorthatyouarecommittedtochangingit,bandtogetherinoppositionsothatyourswillbeapositiontobeacknowledgedratherthanadispositiontobe"treated.
"Aconsistentminority,firminitsconvictioncanoften4undoamajority.
*Beginbyassessingthepowerbaseofthosewhoholdthereigns.
SeekmeansIofdoingwithoutoroffiudingsubstitutesfortheresourcespowerholdersthreatentowithholdfromyou.
Doyoureallyneedtheattenticn,respect,security,approval,moneyorwhatevertheseparticularpeoplehavetoofferThen,bydeterminingwhatcontributionsyoumaketothesystemthatare!
importanttoitsfunctioning,youandyouralliescancollectasignificant{repositoryofsuchresourcestowithholdfromitwhenbargainingtimearrives.
Citizens'action,organizedlabor,thewomen'smovement,andsoon,basemuchoftheirstrategiesonsuchdecisions.
*Appealtothesamehumanneedsthatthepowerholdersinthesystemmanipulateinothers.
Iftheyaretoreconsidertheirposition,theymustbeledtodosoontheirownterms,oreffectivecoercionmustprovethattheirtermsarenolongertenable.
Learntonegotiatewithpowerholdersusingyourresources.
Collectiveresistancebyagroupthatstatesitsproblemsconcisely,pecifiesclearandconcretegoals,resourcesandstrategiesisAndersen/Zmbardo274infinitelymorelikelytobesuccessfulthanaredisorganizedrevoltsandspit-and-runtactics.
*Exitthosesituationsinwhichdisobedienceislikelytobefutileandpunishable,ifyoucan.
Escapeplansmustbecarefullythoughtthroughinconcreteterms,notwishedaboutvaguely.
Trynottogoalone.
Rememberthattherevolutionariesoftheworldhavebeentheonestofreeusfromtyrannicalsystemsofcontrol.
Publicexposesareessentialiftheveilofsecrecythatconcealsmindcontrolpracticesinalloftheirvariedformsistobelifted.
JeannieMills,defectorfromthePeoplesTempleandco-founderoft.
heHumanFreedomCenterinBerkeley,wasunabletogetpeopletobelieveherhorrendoustalesofJimJones'brutalityanddeceituntilsheconvincedseveralreporterstocheckoutthediscontinuitiesbetweenhispreachingandhispractice.
Ittakesafirmsenseofsocialcommitenttoes:apeasystemofmindcontrol,andtothenpersistinchallengingitfromwithout.
Althoughbuyersdowelltobeware:"Everyexitisanentrysomewhereelse.
"(TomStoppard,RoeencrantzandGuildensternAreDead).
AsconsciouscitizenswemustdemandofourselvesevergreaterdiligenceinseekingoutandutilizingallsourcesofInformationandthenensuringthatthisinformationismadeavailabletoothers.
Itisbecausewecanexerciseourabilitytocriticallyevaluateideas,institutionsandourownbehaviorthatwecanperceiveoptionsbeyondthoseprovidedbyconvenientdogmaandostensiblyinescapablecircumstance.
Inthiswayarewe"free"tomakemeaningfulchoicesandtonotbecontrolled.
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