Sociopath Community

He thought he could make a difference, he was young, and information wasn't as easy to come by as it is today. He made a huge difference, and even was why some places got proper medical equipment, but he could not shake those lives he couldn't save.

The guy was bald and gray when I saw him teaching.

 Sounds like he had Jesus complex, and is now disappointed that he isn't special.

Or he is Ben Stein.

 Is the result of this not just fight or flight?

Beats me, I only saw the aftermath. I was left with the impression he just wanted to save lives, but it's not like I saw who he used to be.

His delivery was pretty much identical to Ben Stein, just not quite as deep. His appearance reminded me of a chronically depressed koala.

Ana: "Is the result of this not just fight or flight?"

That's usually more associated with personal risk isn't it? This is more about another individual being in danger.

But there was personal risk. By saying authority figures presented the options to the group it insinuates they had some sort of control over them or seniority. The opposite of approval, which empy humans all want, was the risk even if no other risk was directly explained.

Edit: comma

The one giving them orders was doing just that, giving orders. The severity of the order increased the more they attempted to resist it, creating a sense of pressure and urgency:

"If at any time the subject indicated his desire to halt the experiment, he was given a succession of verbal prods by the experimenter, in this order:
1) Please continue.
2) The experiment requires that you continue.
3) It is absolutely essential that you continue.
4) You have no other choice, you must go on."

They were given a choice, but how much weight each choice had was adjusted the more they resisted, simply from the variables of the experiment itself. Alongside this, the illusion of responsibility was handed over to the one in charge of the button pressers, as opposed to the button pressers being in charge of their own choices, simply from the one giving orders appearing to be more in charge. It's easy to do terrible things if it's not yourself taking the blame directly.

 Fight or flight is direct response to a physical threat. The mechanisms at work in the study were much different and much more complicated.

But I think even if there were no threats of physical harm and there were authority figures giving the instructions it's possible the participants felt pressure though, a motivator.

by Turncoat

As people face more and more hardship in their lives, they gain wisdom, but more often than not alongside wisdom comes pain. With enough pain someone becomes hardened, and begins to understand the idea of sacrifice, if not simply turn inward or selfish.

 

I been through some hardships in my time, displeased with some. But I choose to maintain the qualities that produce better results. Those who hold onto pain without making light of the matter when they adjust, turn out miserable. 

Altruism is a hard road, and most choose not to take it. It's only when the path still looks easy that people bother, unless they happen to be more resilient than the norm.

If heroic qualities were common, we'd not see them as so magnificent.

 I happen to be Mr. Altruism. I don't see kindness or giving others a break as altruism. It's not like one would have to give away the shirt off their back for anothers better interest. 

The man you spoke of. It would serve him not to press the button. It would only apply to his illness.

Most people feel guilt, and I think they need to wake up and do onto others as they would have done to themselves. It's only logical cause we are outnumbered, and the world would be so much more rewarding if society practiced looking out for others more.

 Sure, and that's one of the factors they were testing. But that was not a threat of physical danger. Very different. The experiment is the same in that it's a binary choice. Do it or not do it, but the choice was not flee or attack.