Most students adamantly state that they would never have turned up the voltage in the Milligram experiment. Do you think you would have refused to shock the learner? Looking at your own past behavior, what evidence suggests that you would go along with the order to increase the voltage?
Answer
🧠Would I Have Obeyed in the Milgram Experiment? A Reflective Analysis
🔬 Background: The Power of Authority
The Milgram experiment, conducted in the 1960s, shocked the world by demonstrating how ordinary individuals could comply with authority figures even when instructed to harm others. Participants believed they were delivering increasingly intense electric shocks to a “learner” when commanded by an authority figure — a white-coated experimenter.
“I would never do that!” — a common initial reaction by modern students when introduced to the Milgram study.
🤔 Would I Have Refused to Shock the Learner?
At first glance, I believe I would have resisted. My moral compass tells me that hurting someone, even under instruction, is wrong. However, deeper reflection — especially in light of Milgram’s results — makes this claim uncertain.
The experiment found that over 65% of participants obeyed the authority figure, delivering shocks up to the maximum 450 volts. These participants were not malicious individuals — they were everyday people, many of whom expressed discomfort but continued nonetheless.
đź“š Evidence From My Own Past Behavior
Looking honestly at my past, several behavioral patterns suggest I might have obeyed in a similar situation:
- Obedience in structured environments: In school, I’ve followed rules even when I disagreed with them — simply because they came from teachers or administrators.
- Fear of confrontation: In group situations, I’ve sometimes gone along with decisions to avoid conflict, even when I felt uneasy.
- Trust in authority: I tend to believe that professionals or people in charge “know best” — and this trust can suppress my instinct to question harmful instructions.
These behaviors reflect a tendency to comply when pressured by perceived legitimacy, structure, or social expectations.
🎯 Psychological Forces at Play
Milgram’s findings revealed the immense power of the following influences:
- Gradual escalation: The voltage didn’t jump to 450 volts immediately — it increased in small, almost imperceptible steps, making each decision seem minor.
- Diffusion of responsibility: The authority figure assumed responsibility for the outcome, reducing moral burden on the participant.
- Social conditioning: From a young age, we’re taught to obey teachers, parents, employers — this conditioning runs deep.
âś… Conclusion: What Might I Have Done?
While I like to believe I would have stopped, the psychological evidence and my own tendencies suggest a real possibility that I might have continued — especially under intense social and authoritative pressure.
However, this realization is not a sign of weakness, but an opportunity: by understanding these forces, I can become more aware — and more ethically resilient — in real-world situations.
True strength lies not in assuming we are immune, but in preparing to stand up when it’s hardest to do so.