“ One man who stopped lying could bring down a tyranny”
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Totalitarian systems of all kinds rely on forced participation in falsehoods to maintain their control. Too often these falsehoods come in the proverbial sheep’s clothing.
Yesterday I heard the Milgram Experiment referenced again. In this experiment, 65% of participants who were called “teachers” were willing to administer increasingly severe electric shocks to study participants called “learners” when they answered a question incorrectly. “Teachers” were directed to do this by the experimental scientist in the study.
I wondered if anyone had ever identified characteristics of the individuals in the 35% who disobeyed the instructions. A list of factors found includes: less authority-compliant personalty and their levels of empathy, conscientiousness and moral conviction. Looking further, an even more influential factor was identified. Milgram’s Experiment 17 included 2 study confederates posing as “teachers” along with the study “teachers”. When the first confederate refused to continue 3 of 40 “teacher” participants dropped out. When the second confederate dropped out, 12 of 40 “teachers” refused to proceed. At the end of the study 4 of 40 “teachers” ,10% had continued to the end of the study.
Just one, Just two.
The dark side knows this.
The naive and complacent mob acts this out in circles small and stages large.
Large and small, our divine yes and divine no matter, perhaps more than we realize.
Prayers for knowledge, wisdom and courage to use them in Love & Light.
#truth,#liberty,#spirit,#courage
