Howdy Larc,Fine discussions happening here and other threads. Thanks for your insight. The below sites came across my way upon first coming on the net - I found them fascinating with the implications on how the human mind works in captivity and/or power capacity.I really believe that the blame, the victims, the circumstances, can't be said to be black/white, he/she, them/us.
There are just too many variations to the mind.Milgram's experiment on "Obedience to Authority".. http://designweb.otago.ac.nz/grant/psyc/OBEDIANCE.HTMLQuote: Although no-one actually received any electric shocks, Milgram's study came under fire for the adverse it had on the "teachers". Milgram's interviews with his subjects tended to confirm the view that ordinary everyday people can cause pain and suffering to another person under the right set of circumstances. Milgram recounts one interview in particular with a devout Catholic married to a plumber... According to Milgram she gave the impression of complete humility. At 225 volts she turned to the experimenter and in a tentative voice said "I hesitate to press these". But when the experimented told her to continue, she did. Later she hesitated again, but once again, when the experimenter insisted that she continue, she did... right up to the maximum 450 volt shock."Societal Stockholm Syndrome.. http://web2.airmail.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/sss.htmlQuote: The Stockholm incident compelled journalists and social scientists to research whether the emotional bonding between captors and captives was a "freak" incident or a common occurrence in oppressive situations. They discovered that it's such a common phenomenon that it deserves a name. Thus the label, Stockholm Syndrome, was born. It has happened to concentration camp prisoners, cult members, civilians in Chinese Communist prisons, pimp-procured prostitutes, incest victims, physically and/or emotionally abused children, battered women, prisoners of war, victims of hijackings, and of course, hostages. Virtually anyone can get Stockholm Syndrome it the following conditions are met: 1. Perceived threat to survival and the belief that one's captor is willing to act on that threat 2. The captive's perception of small kindnesses from the captor within a context of terror 3. Isolation from perspectives other than those of the captor 4. Perceived inability to escape. Stockholm Syndrome is a survival mechanism. The men and women who get it are not lunatics. They are fighting for their lives. They deserve compassion, not ridicule. waitingps: Did zazu tell you I was following in your footsteps in school? Lol......I took a class at 8am - told the counselor that I'd have a pretty good chance (grading on the curve) since most students would either still be asleep or hungover. He looked at me funny (not unusal), and I explained I had two sons in college. He went "ahhhhhhh."
There are just too many variations to the mind.Milgram's experiment on "Obedience to Authority".. http://designweb.otago.ac.nz/grant/psyc/OBEDIANCE.HTMLQuote: Although no-one actually received any electric shocks, Milgram's study came under fire for the adverse it had on the "teachers". Milgram's interviews with his subjects tended to confirm the view that ordinary everyday people can cause pain and suffering to another person under the right set of circumstances. Milgram recounts one interview in particular with a devout Catholic married to a plumber... According to Milgram she gave the impression of complete humility. At 225 volts she turned to the experimenter and in a tentative voice said "I hesitate to press these". But when the experimented told her to continue, she did. Later she hesitated again, but once again, when the experimenter insisted that she continue, she did... right up to the maximum 450 volt shock."Societal Stockholm Syndrome.. http://web2.airmail.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/sss.htmlQuote: The Stockholm incident compelled journalists and social scientists to research whether the emotional bonding between captors and captives was a "freak" incident or a common occurrence in oppressive situations. They discovered that it's such a common phenomenon that it deserves a name. Thus the label, Stockholm Syndrome, was born. It has happened to concentration camp prisoners, cult members, civilians in Chinese Communist prisons, pimp-procured prostitutes, incest victims, physically and/or emotionally abused children, battered women, prisoners of war, victims of hijackings, and of course, hostages. Virtually anyone can get Stockholm Syndrome it the following conditions are met: 1. Perceived threat to survival and the belief that one's captor is willing to act on that threat 2. The captive's perception of small kindnesses from the captor within a context of terror 3. Isolation from perspectives other than those of the captor 4. Perceived inability to escape. Stockholm Syndrome is a survival mechanism. The men and women who get it are not lunatics. They are fighting for their lives. They deserve compassion, not ridicule. waitingps: Did zazu tell you I was following in your footsteps in school? Lol......I took a class at 8am - told the counselor that I'd have a pretty good chance (grading on the curve) since most students would either still be asleep or hungover. He looked at me funny (not unusal), and I explained I had two sons in college. He went "ahhhhhhh."