> This is a very interesting interview with Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who > conducted the (in)famous Stanford Prison Experiment. If you think > that you understand human nature and what any of us are capable of, > you should read this. > http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/04/ten_questions_w.html
I suppose most people know how depraved some people can become, given the circumstances. One thing is for sure: the 'if it bleeds, it leads' mentality of our information supply will make sure we hear 10,000 times about each and every deviant, over and over and over again. ------ There is the flip side that I've been wanting to mention in some context, so I'll take the opportunity: just as some are given to depravity, there are also those who, also given the circumstances, will go the other extreme and rise to the challenge. The little skinny guy who jumps out of his hole, grabs a machine gun and saves everyone's life. The Chinese guy who stands in front of a tank. States-people like Washington, Lincoln, Churchill et al, and of course Gandhi, Mother Teresa and others throughout history. The history of the world is marked with great people who rose to great challenges. That leads to what really - greatly - perplexes me: current circumstances are over-ripe for one of these extraordinary people to emerge in Washington, yet at this advanced stage of our plight, there isn't a one in sight. It could have been someone like Powell. Had he taken a stand and resigned rather then giving that speech at the UN, it's possible that he alone could have changed the course of events and qualified for this status. But he didn't. He crumbled. Looking around, it seems like everyone has crumbled, and what's left is, well, did you see the Democratic debate this week? Not a single spark among them. Just a bunch of talking heads saying nothing. My current assessment is that our enemy-within, the interest groups who suckered us into an increasingly monstrous war, on top of massive degradations to our Constitution, are in such control that nobody can get past the gates. On the other hand, I know from history and psychology that such a person will emerge, but damned if I can spot him or her right now. Bill -- Ed Leafe _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
