Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Anecdote Lead

At first glance, they were average college males. All twenty-four volunteers were of the same age, social class, and education level chosen to participate in a psychology study at Stanford University. Divided into two groups, they were to live and work in a simulation prison as either prisoners or guards. Within hours the males were immersed in their roles and quickly forgot that they were all equals. With leadership came power, and the guards enjoyed abusing it. History and psychology studies have introduced us to people using power for the advancement of one group even when they have no reason to be superior. So, why does power make average people do horrible things?

*My lead was "anecdote". I plan on tying The Stanford Prison into the theme of power making average people do horrible things and then relating it back to Bury the Chains and characters throughout history.

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