Scientology Information > Questions and Answers about Scientology and its Related Entities
Resisting influence
mefree:
http://www.lucifereffect.com/
http://www.prisonexp.org/
http://www.lucifereffect.com/heroism.htm
http://www.lucifereffect.com/guide.htm
It is well-known that scientology wields influence over its members.
Some of the following is posted elsewhere. I started looking around on the website and found much thought-provoking information.
For those who are not familiar, Philip Zimbardo has a book out, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil (Random House, 2007).
More about that here: http://www.lucifereffect.com/
I'm sure most of you have some knowledge of the Stanford Experiment: http://www.prisonexp.org/
This section on resisting influence was a particularly fascinating read to me: http://www.lucifereffect.com/guide.htm
Prepared by Philip Zimbardo and Cindy X. Wang
Why We Conform: The Power of Groups
Quote>>>>Whenever we change our behavior, views, and attitudes in response to the real or imagined presence of others, we are experiencing conformity. Why we conform is a topic of great interest to social psychologists. In particular, the classic studies of Solomon Asch and Muzafer Sherif have shed light on the determinants of conformity. Their research and that of others (Morton Deutsch and Hal Gerard) has demonstrated two main types of conformity: informational and normative. Informative conformity often occurs in situations in which there is high uncertainty and ambiguity. In an unfamiliar situation, we are likely to shape our behavior to match that of others. The actions of others inform us of the customs and accepted practices in a situation. Others inform us of what is right to do, how to behave in new situations.
In addition to conforming to the group norms due to lack of knowledge, we also conform when we want to be liked by the group. This type of conformity, called normative conformity, is the dominant form of social conformity when we are concerned about making a good impression in front of a group. Though we may disagree secretly with the group opinion, we may verbally adopt the group stance so that we seem like a team player rather than a deviant.
Both of these pressures impact us everyday, for good or for worse. A staple of a functioning society is that people follow social norms such as obeying traffic laws, respecting others’ property, and diffusing aggression in non-violent ways. However, conformity can have deleterious effects if one conforms automatically without questioning of the validity of social norms. In Nazi Germany, many ordinary people did not dissent to the ongoing atrocities because few other people resisted. Similarly, in the Stanford Prison Experiment, the subjects who were randomly assigned as guards gradually adopted the behavior of cruel and demanding prison guards because that became the behavioral norm in an alien situation.
In our daily decisions, we should also examine whether our reasons justify our actions. In an unfamiliar situation, first ask yourself whether the actions you observe others performing is rational, warranted, and consistent with your own principles before thoughtlessly and automatically adopting them.
Similarly, in a situation in which you want to impress and be accepted by others, ask yourself whether the action conflicts with your moral code, and consider whether you would be willing to compromise your own opinion of yourself just so others would have a higher one of you. Ultimately, you are the only one who has to live with your actions. Also take a time out to find out the correct information.
To resist the powers of group conformity: know what you stand for; determine how really important it is that these other people like you, especially when they are strangers; recognize that there are other groups who would be delighted to have you as a member; take a future perspective to imagine what you will think of your current conforming action at some time in the future. <<<<
Philip Zimbardo spoke on the Edge with Tom Smith today:
Quote>>>>This week's guest
I interview social psychologist and author Philip Zimbardo about two of his books, The Lucifer Effect and The Time Paradox. The first book covers the phenomena of social influence upon the individual, while the second shows how our time perspectives affect our thoughts and actions, and how we can change our time perspectives for a more fulfilling life. <<<<http://theedgewithtomsmith.com/a/TheEdgeZimbardo1.mp3
SocialTransparency:
Gawd. Another thing I need to file in my anxiety closet. GUILTY AS CHARGED! ;D. And all this time I thought it was peer group pressure. :o
Very interesting read.
Quote>>>>To resist the powers of group conformity: know what you stand for; determine how really important it is that these other people like you, especially when they are strangers; recognize that there are other groups who would be delighted to have you as a member; take a future perspective to imagine what you will think of your current conforming action at some time in the future.<<<<
Profound!
SocialTransparency:
@mefree.
Setting aside my attempts at humor, these links you posted are very interesting. What is interesting are the parallels that not only can be drawn between our everyday interactions with other people, but also how individuals can become influenced to become cult like in their behavior. Our need to 'belong" or "Liked" can, unbeknownst to us, betray our real selves. We get lost. Our own identity becomes based on mirroring a "Group Think".
Belonging to a group in itself is not an issue in my opinion. It does become an issue when you loose your own identity in order to belong to said group. Marching along haphazardly within a said group dynamic leaves one to not thinking for themselves. I know I have done this many a time throughout my life. Fortunately, I did not become involved with any group that could have robbed me of my individuality.
In all honesty, this almost happened within my activism. Fortunately for me, I finally caught myself pandering to a group think mentality and began acting in a way that manifested itself from the true me. Agreeing with an issue is one thing. To hand over you're individually to placate a group is another matter entirely.
mefree:
In the current events section, I found this example very sad:
Quote>>>>“I’m ashamed of my school,” the seventh-grader said quietly.
Since 12 year-olds are prone to finding fault with anything and everything having to do with school, you might under normal circumstances dismiss this statement as normal griping.
But, these were not normal circumstances.
The school in question was A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas, California. A.E. Wright is regarded as one of the top middle schools in the area. Some families live within the boundaries of the Las Virgenes School District just so that their children can attend A.E. Wright. As an A.E. Wright parent, I can say that I have found it to be an excellent school.
But, on Friday, November 20, A.E. Wright became the object of some very undesirable publicity.
Some A.E. Wright students were assaulted that day by classmates. The victims of these assaults all had one characteristic in common: they were redheads.
Although no serious injuries resulted, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is treating the incidents as possible felony assaults. The most serious incident (at least the most serious incident reported so far) involved a redheaded boy who was punched and kicked when he arrived at school Friday morning.
Why redheads and why this particular Friday?
Well, as the facts begin to accumulate, it seems that something got organized on Facebook called “Kick A Ginger Day.”
Kick A Ginger Day was apparently inspired by an episode of the popular animated series South Park in which a redheaded boy ( the derogatory term applied to redheads was “ginger”) was subjected to harassment because of his hair color.
The irony here is that Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, were attempting to satirize racial prejudice in that episode by basing discrimination on something as inconsequential as hair color.
Instead, South Park unwittingly inspired the very prejudice and violence that it attempted to ridicule.
Or . . . maybe it’s going a little too far to say that South Park “inspired” the anti-redhead violence at A.E. Wright. Perhaps a more fair assessment is that South Park provided an excuse for the kind of hazing and harassment that goes on way too often among middle schoolers.
What is the response to this inconceivably senseless string of assaults?
The details are still a bit murky. Reports indicate that as many as fourteen students at A.E. Wright might have participated, to one degree or another, in Kick A Ginger Day. The first obvious response is to investigate the incidents thoroughly, identify each of the assailants and the degree of participation, and take appropriate disciplinary action. With the Sheriff’s Department involved, criminal charges are certainly within the realm of possibility.
But . . . what is the long-term response? <<<<
more at http://www.lucifereffect.com/theologyblog.htm?articleID=47
SocialTransparency:
Quote>>>>“I’m ashamed of my school,” the seventh-grader said quietly.
Since 12 year-olds are prone to finding fault with anything and everything having to do with school, you might under normal circumstances dismiss this statement as normal griping.
But, these were not normal circumstances.
The school in question was A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas, California. A.E. Wright is regarded as one of the top middle schools in the area. Some families live within the boundaries of the Las Virgenes School District just so that their children can attend A.E. Wright. As an A.E. Wright parent, I can say that I have found it to be an excellent school.
But, on Friday, November 20, A.E. Wright became the object of some very undesirable publicity.
Some A.E. Wright students were assaulted that day by classmates. The victims of these assaults all had one characteristic in common: they were redheads.
Although no serious injuries resulted, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is treating the incidents as possible felony assaults. The most serious incident (at least the most serious incident reported so far) involved a redheaded boy who was punched and kicked when he arrived at school Friday morning.
Why redheads and why this particular Friday?
Well, as the facts begin to accumulate, it seems that something got organized on Facebook called “Kick A Ginger Day.”
Kick A Ginger Day was apparently inspired by an episode of the popular animated series South Park in which a redheaded boy ( the derogatory term applied to redheads was “ginger”) was subjected to harassment because of his hair color.
The irony here is that Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, were attempting to satirize racial prejudice in that episode by basing discrimination on something as inconsequential as hair color.
Instead, South Park unwittingly inspired the very prejudice and violence that it attempted to ridicule.
Or . . . maybe it’s going a little too far to say that South Park “inspired” the anti-redhead violence at A.E. Wright. Perhaps a more fair assessment is that South Park provided an excuse for the kind of hazing and harassment that goes on way too often among middle schoolers.
What is the response to this inconceivably senseless string of assaults?
The details are still a bit murky. Reports indicate that as many as fourteen students at A.E. Wright might have participated, to one degree or another, in Kick A Ginger Day. The first obvious response is to investigate the incidents thoroughly, identify each of the assailants and the degree of participation, and take appropriate disciplinary action. With the Sheriff’s Department involved, criminal charges are certainly within the realm of possibility.
But . . . what is the long-term response? <<<<
Oh the parallels!. I was considered an "outlier" during high school and on the receiving end of group bullying. Up until a certain grade, I was in private school. My parents were on the home and school board association. Hence, I was not allowed to be a part of what i percieved @ the time as the "in" crowd. Then I went to a public school. YIKES.
I let my hair grow past my shoulders. The cool kids in school were all jocks. They raged on we 'freaks" as they called us. I got my butt kicked on one occasion. I still fight that fight in my dreams sometimes. Pres Nixon and his group were still wanting us boys to play or report our addie to the SSB on a monthly basis.Maybe see southeast asia on Uncle Sam,s dime. :-\. To influence us to fear the asian communist boogeyman. Thankfully I missed that party. ;D
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