Anonymous A started this discussion 15 years ago#5,059
This is a great example of how telling people what to do works. People like fascism. Reminds me also of the military, where every action is the result of an order. Ever notice how military men have a hard time integrating back into society when they leave? Gangs operate the same way, you join, do what you are told, and become so integrated that you can't leave, that you don't want to leave.
People like to become part of a larger unit. It's comfortable, and reaffirming, even when it means more work for the individual. It feels safe. The hivemind is welcoming.
Good or bad, do people like having decisions made for them? Do they enjoy taking orders?
Broseph !!fxnDb+Ve4 joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 1 hour later[^][v]#89,351
I don't think it's so much that people like being bossed around as much as people hate the responsibility of having to make decisions for themselves. This is why it is so easy for governments to chip away at freedom. Slowly make everything the government's responsibility and not many people seem to care or notice their taxes going up or their freedoms slipping away. As you put it, people like fascism.
Military, gangs, and prisons are all good examples of this principle at work. People in the military like being told when to get up, what to do, where to live, etc., and in return, as long as they don't have severe behavioral problems, they never have to worry about getting laid off, losing their home, not having a place to live, not having food to eat, etc. Some people get out of the military with the self-discipline they need to make in the real world, but for those who never learn the self-discipline and always relied on the military as a crutch, having to find a job, worrying about getting laid off, trying to pay the bills and make ends meet, finding a place to live and paying rent can all be very scary and difficult, especially in this economic climate. That's why a lot of people go into the military and tend not to leave. Prison is the same way. You have almost all of your freedoms taken away from you in prison, but as a result, you have almost no responsibility whatsoever aside from doing whatever they tell you to do. Then they get out, and people who were already dysfunctional in society to begin with, are now faced with having all the responsibility of the real world coming back at them all at once, and on top of that they now have a criminal record holding them back. Most of these people turned to crime because they were at a disadvantage to begin with, and so a lot of them end up back in prison.
Anonymous C joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 9 hours later, 10 hours after the original post[^][v]#89,596
It depends on who is making the decisions.
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx joined in and replied with this 15 years ago, 15 minutes later, 11 hours after the original post[^][v]#89,607
Depends on the person, but looking at the holocaust, and how many Germans soldiers excused what they did with "just following orders" I think we're all susceptible to it if everyone else conforms too.
Anonymous C replied with this 15 years ago, 5 hours later, 16 hours after the original post[^][v]#89,770
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 15 years ago, 7 minutes later, 16 hours after the original post[^][v]#89,778
@previous (C)
Already have, did it in psychology. It's funny how before it was done, people actually considered thinking that Germans had a fundamental personality flaw as a people.
Anonymous C replied with this 15 years ago, 5 minutes later, 16 hours after the original post[^][v]#89,779