28 February 2008

Slippery Slope


According to Philip Zimbardo, who speaks with some authority on the matter (and has written a book on it), these are the "Seven Social Processes That Grease the Slippery Slope of Evil":

1. Mindlessly Taking the First Small Step
2. Dehumanization of Others
3. De-individuation of Self
4. Diffusion of Personal Responsibility
5. Blind Obedience to Authority
6. Uncritical Conformity to Group Norms
7. Passive Tolerance of Evil Through Inaction, or Indifference
How many of these have we already taken as individuals... and thus, as a nation? And what do we need to do in order to take a few steps back?

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