Stanford Prison Experiment
 

A newly released National Geographic documentary regarding the Stanford Prison Experiment was recently released on Hulu. I was very familiar with the study, but this new documentary completely changed my perspective on what really happened.

It's a great watch and I'm very interested to hear your perspective.

https://www.hulu.com/series/the-stanford-prison-experiment-unlocking-the-truth-f77a3e3d-3751-4c80-9bd5-7daf2a32c4f0

David

A famous study that I’m somewhat familiar with. I’d like to watch it- I suspect relevant lessons for today’s world. Thanks for the heads up!

I wish there was someone I knew who REALLY knows stuff like no other would give me their version......

If only I knew someone :D

.... oh yeah ... they gotta be able to "tell the tales" like no other can too...

Waiting..... ;)

I found this interesting, already knew all this stuff, but it is interesting.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/11/revisting-the-stanford-prison-experiment-50-years-later/

If only. LOL!

My interest is piqued! Is there a Pelican who was actually involved in the study? If so, I would love to talk to the person to gain additional insight. Please DM me if you don't want to make it public, David

He wasn't actually involved, but I sure would like to hear his perspective. I'm not at liberty to dislose his identity here ... but others know who I'm talking about... you know him too!

Ask Steve M :)

I wasn't involved, but I have a unique perspective on the gist of this study, which is that anyone has the capacity for evil, given the right environment. They even mentioned Nazis.

I played a Nazi in a performance of Anne Frank at our local theater. I arrested everyone in the annex at the end of the play. The director told me to be "evil incarnate" so that I would terrify the audience. So, I was as evil as I could be. I screamed German anti-Jewish epithets in Otto Frank's and Anne's face, held a gun to their head, and shoved them around. By the end of the Sunday matinee, after a week a dress rehearsals, I couldn't even speak and I broke down sobbing. It was awful. BTW, I never, ever yell in real life. I get angry so seldom, it's probably a mental deficiency. I am the epitome of mild-mannered.

I was having a nervous breakdown. It would take me at least two hours to settle down afterwards. I couldn't sleep. I didn't think I could go out on stage the following Friday. Thing is, in order to deliver a convincing performance, you can't pretend. You have to become that character. That was the problem. I became evil.

I went for long walks on the beach and had long conversations with my wife. By the time Friday rolled around, I was able to buck up and do it. The third weekend was easier. By the fifth a final weekend, I was having fun doing it. After escorting the Franks and the others into the wings where we could be ourselves, I would laugh and high-five the others like I just scored a touchdown.

This turned out to be a sobering lesson on how a mild-mannered, chill person such as myself could become evil and even embrace the situation.

Wow! Thank you very much Charlie. That is about as insightful as can be, brother.