Are we inherently bad??

[R1Geezer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7791278.stm
Is there some percieved justification for our actions in what we see as "authority figures"? Is this the same as "only obeying orders.....". I did see the original study on a documentary once and the people pressing the button where usually apologetic in the extreme. "I'm really sorry but I have to put 450 volts up yer jaxy...". Any freudian types care to analyse these findings?

[Octavius]

To be honest, I do not believe that is what this experiment demonstrates. For all we know his has been viewed and treated as �a bit of fun� with no real stern belief that real long lasting harm (or prolonged torture) is being inflicted on the �actor�. Most people would probably even see some humour in the short sharp shocks being inflicted. TV shows have shown us this, such as Jackass and the like. Some people do it as a past time and get sexual kicks out of it. So I don�t think it is as clear cut as it pretends to be.

If you put the same people in a room and said, flick the switch and watch the man in the chair be executed, you would probably find less than 3 out of 10 willing to do so. Similarly, if the original �victim� was trussed up and humiliated or degraded and was pleading for their life. Although, to be fair, these are Americans so the willing participants might be slightly higher.

[youngmafbog]

If you want to flick the switch on some murdering scumbag then I'm your man, must be one of the 3/10

[Octavius]

Who said anything about a "murdering scumbag"?

Rather too keen to flick the switch there YMABug, without even knowing the true facts. I guess you must be one of the sheep following the authoritarian view. No questions asked.

baaaah.

[rov1200]

As the water board torture was so successful it proves you don't need to put electrodes on their nether regions but just the suggestion of such. Mind torture is just as successful as physical torture and is probably used more frequently by many nations today.

[123everton]

I saw a programme about that very thing many years ago.
To me it boils down to blame if you can blame somebody else for what you've done then it's easier to bear. There's an old taoist saying that goes "if you seek to blame others, then there is no end to the blame."
I think what you're actually espousing is the old Jeremian doctrine, that all people are born bad. But I'm not a theologian so I could be wrong,