Throughout history, humans have been capable of committing horrific atrocities against one another..Humans have been able to torture, mame, and kill multiple people without a reasonable cause and are later able to completely deny these unusual and horrific actions. The actions committed by soldiers during the era of World War II prove that we are capable of horrors, yet does not explain whether these were simply lapses in judgement or true intentions of evil. Studies, such as the Stanley Milgram experiment and Stanford prison experiment, show the effects that authority and power can have on behaviour. Moreover, the obedience engrained within us as well as our tendency to strive for social order, also allows us to provide a certain justification for our actions. Under authoritative instruction and influence from those around them, …show more content…
From the day an individual is born, they are bound to a set of rules that they must follow in order to thrive. We must obey our parents, follow school guidelines, and live by the rules and regulations of society. Our entire early years and later years to come, revolve around obeying these rules in order to be a “good” member of society and following these orders. On the contrary, scientific evidence involving evolution refers to the fact that the chance of survival can be increased significantly by simply avoiding violent and nonconformist behaviours. Living in groups, often lead by superiors, provides the necessary protection along with the emotional comfort required to live and succeed comfortably in one's environment [Smartalevels, n.d., pp. 4-6]. These aspects are often sought-out by people and are not uncommon in regards to human behaviour. In fact, he idea of having a leader has been found to have existed throughout human history and is viewed as typical social