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Summary Of If Hitler Asked You To Electrocute A Stranger

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In, “If Hitler Asked You to Electrocute a Stranger, Would You? Probably” Phillip Meyer discusses Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiment and the probability of normal people electrocuting a stranger. Milgram’s experiment was originally to show that Germans were different, which would explain the Nazis and the Holocaust. However, what he found was even more shocking. Milgram discovered that most people, not just Germans, are naturally very obedient. Both Milgram and Meyer were disgusted with the results that so many people would electrocute a stranger to the point of death, just because they were asked to. Meyers said that Milgram is no longer worried about the Nazis but is more worried about people like Meyers and normal people in America. Meyers also believes that people think that they would not go so far as many did in the experiment, but until they are put in that situation there is no way to tell what would happen. …show more content…

The experiment showed that humans are naturally obedient. Meyers makes a good point in that I believe I would never hurt someone just because I was told to, but in reality I really do not know what I would do. In this essay Meyers tone is very disgusted, and I tend to feel the same way. It is sickening to think that anyone would be so obedient that they would be willing to kill a complete stranger. It is very sad yet very true. People are very impressionable and will do whatever they are told if put in the right situation. Meyers also talk about how he worries about himself and his readers. He worries that if put in a similar situation that he would not know what he would do. I find myself in the same predicament. No one can know what they would do, but Milgram’s experiment, makes me lean towards the possibility that I would be more obedient than I would like to

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