The uncomfortable truth about mind control: Is free will simply a myth?

This is a very interesting article:

The uncomfortable truth about mind control: Is free will simply a myth?

I've always been interested in Milgram's work. For those that aren't familiar with Milgram's most famous experiment, you can find the info HERE

We are so attuned to doing as we are told. In childhood we 'do as we are told' when our parents say, when the teachers say, when anyone with a uniform in authority says. It's no shock that in adulthood, this seemingly subconscious will to 'do as we are told' prevails.

But to think we can 'do as we are told' to the point of killing someone, or causing them harm, is very shocking. Indeed, were the guards in Auschwitz simply doing as they were told? Isn't this how the whole military works? Would any of us do the same if we were in the same position? We would all like to think that we wouldn't but who knows how far this will to obey authority runs deep in us.

The most interesting part to me lies in this quote from the article:

Milgram went with his students on to the New York subway. Their task was to approach passengers on the train and say, pleasantly: "I'd like your seat, please". As Milgram pointed out beforehand, "if you ask a New Yorker if he would give up his seat to a man who gives no reason for asking, he would say 'never'. But what would he really do?" The answer was that in just over half of all cases people gave up their seats when asked.

Recently I decided to repeat this experiment in a busy London shopping centre, with similar results. I was surprised by how many people complied with my completely unreasonable request, but even more surprised by how uncomfortable I found asking them to do it, something Milgram also discovered.

"I was about to say the words 'excuse me, sir, may I have your seat,' but I found something very interesting, there was an enormous inhibition, the words wouldn't come out, I simply couldn't utter them, there was this terrible restraint against saying this phrase."

This is a fun experiment and i may just try this myself, if i work up the courage to do it. It's true that majority of us would feel extremely uncomfortable giving orders like this, even in a polite way. Perhaps the people in power, the ones really pulling the strings, they are the poeple that do not feel uncomfortable saying 'give this to me', even if it is an unreasonable request. To me, someone who would have no problems with giving the orders and also do as they are told routinely would be a scary individual indeed.

So keep fighting the system.

And remember, don't do as you are told.

Actually the reason why the experiment with the shock worked was because the people were playing out the consequences in there head incase of law suit. They knew the people asking them would get more of a punishment then them actually doing it . This safety net cusion allowed them to continue because the burdon of responsibility was rationalised off there hands in there head. The people doing the zapping knew there story in there heads while doing it , thats why they could easily do it . Now if the experimenter had said zap at your own caution we take no responsiblitiy then nobody would zap . Its that simple. The experiment only proved humans will do something aslong as they know the shift of blame will be somewhere else.


Politicians quite often do the opposite of what seems to be the right thing to do . ? Is this mind control ? of course not its just the selfish gene kicking in again and self intrests first which usually means cooporate intrests and lobbyists . Which sparks there self intrest. These punks walk in broke leave millionaires .

reply to post by Nammu


Free Will never existed.

reply to post by Nammu


Its further than that. Real electronic mind control exists in uk.

Amazing the denial about this. Real weapons exist and they go further than you can imagine.

It really depends. If you do not care about a certain topic you will accept anything presented on the subject as fact. You dont care either way to begin with.

Apathy is the problem. People are manipulated and duped, because they allow themselves to be manipulated and duped. Some people realize there is a whole lot that can distract them from real world politics, which every citizen should at least observe. Others who feel like they have all they want dont care and dont question.

reply to post by seedofchucky


Interesting thought indeed. How much of the action can be attributed to being ordered to do it and how much attributed to the fact you might get away with it by blaming someone else. In the case of killing someone though, you would still be held responsible for that action regardless of whether you were told to do it or not. Would you really still deliver that lethal shock if you thought you might get manslaughter instead or murder? Even more interestingly, are we such selfish beings that we calculate more in our heads what the consequences are to us, over and above the life of another person? That in itself is an interesting concept.

Originally posted by DenyIdiocy4
reply to post by Nammu

 

Free Will never existed.

That exactly why rebels, misfits, mavericks and even crazies are necessary for a healthy society. They ignore the walls of concensus reality.

...how?