One Good Apple Can Reform the Bunch
We live in a world where it can be difficult to do the “right thing.” This is a term with a broad definition that differs by culture, by situation, and by individual. Doing the “right thing” can be as simple as returning someone’s lost money, or as bold as standing up for human rights on a public platform. No matter how you define the “right thing,” there is often a temptation to give up—to keep the money for yourself or to let someone else speak. According to Philip Zimbardo’s book, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, avoiding the temptation to give up on doing the “right thing” is easy.
Zimbardo gained both acclaim and infamy after his Stanford Prison Experiment. This experiment initially set out to find how being a prisoner or a prison guard impacted a person psychologically, but it devolved into an actual prison where college students were tortured by their peers. Zimbardo took what became of his work and turned it into something new: a way to define how situational factors can make a good person do monstrous things. Zimbardo explains how evil can be made systemic and, therefore, ingrained into a society without being noticeable, becoming an unquestioned part of everyday life. In this situation, rather than doing something based in morals, one often does whatever one is told.
The part of the book that affected me the most was the final chapter. This chapter ends the book on a high note by celebrating the heroism in our society that conquers evil. Zimbardo draws from the brightest examples of humanity to balance out the darkness of the book thus far. According to Zimbardo, heroism runs the gamut from spending a lifetime fighting against corrupt and oppressive governments to being a hero of the moment, like the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11th terror attacks. Even simply voicing one’s opinion, standing up for a cause, or resisting peer pressure is an act of heroism in Zimbardo’s eyes. More importantly, Zimbardo has devised a guide to avoid falling victim to the systemic influences that can turn a good apple into a bad one. This compendium is full of guidelines that Zimbardo considers “doing the right thing.” By admitting to mistakes, taking responsibility, staying mindful, embracing individuality, being vigilant, and standing up to unjust systems, we can keep our virtue and hold strong against any negative influence. This list of rules for preserving one’s morality may sound like a complicated effort, but in reality, it is simple: these rules are values that a great many of us already hold dear.
This guide to doing the right thing really inspired me, especially the section on embracing individuality. Zimbardo tells the reader to never let anyone else put them in a box or minimize who they are, because a lack of individuality can lead to a lack of human connection and to anonymity that can hide or perpetuate wrongdoing. This self-minimization is something I was immensely guilty of; I am still somewhat quiet and soft-spoken, but before coming to this realization I used to avoid conflict at any cost and kept my interests and personality to myself out of fear of rejection. Zimbardo’s advice encouraged me to break out of this mindset. To do this, I decided to indulge in my own interests more; I began to go out to concerts, to movies, and to try new things, and to strike up conversations with others while out. This was daunting at first, and many times I just wasn’t sure what to say or how to react. But I kept trying, no matter how anxious I was feeling. Now, I feel so much more confident. I am stronger and more assertive. I look people in the eye, talk about myself and my accomplishments, and I share my interests. I’ve realized that I don’t have to deindividuate myself or be passive in my own life. Instead, I can assert who and what I am without shame. I don’t have to be afraid of other people not liking my interests—or me! And as a result, I have made many new friends that I never would have met if I hadn’t been confident enough to speak up. This newfound confidence is a great first step and will help me to become a hero, whether in small ways or on a grand scale. At the most basic level, this assertion of individuality is what creates a human connection and a common ground. These connections can then grow into other positive factors, especially helping others to achieve the same proud individuality. Now that I have overcome my own weakness of deindividualization, I strive to help others do the same. I encourage others by asking them about their interests, their schooling, and their jobs.
This new way of taking action has impacted the people around me as well and led them to make positive changes for themselves and their communities. Some of my friends and family members have picked up this book on my recommendation, and all have already noticed positive changes they can make. After finishing the book, a friend found a wallet on the ground on the UNLV campus and, instead of keeping it, she went through the effort of tracking down the owner herself and returning it in person! That is what I believe to be the most important lesson from this book: if all of us did the “right thing” by stepping out of anonymity to connect with and help each other at every opportunity, no matter how big or small, we could all make the difference to change the world for the better.
Amanda Roth is a junior at UNLV double majoring in psychology and sociology, with a minor in anthropology. She is currently in her third semester as a member of the Interactive Measurement Group (IMG). She has participated in several projects as a member of IMG, such as working with a team to create a research poster about fibromyalgia and emotional awareness, which she plans to present at a professional conference in 2019. After graduation, Amanda plans to gain clinical experience and then pursue a graduate degree in psychology.