Topic: Recommended reading

[Bonk]

I came across this yesterday:

http://www.rickross.com/brainwashing.html

There is some repetition of stuff (Milgram's experiment and the prison experiment are mentioned several times), and the text excerpts seem to be scanned in and ocr'd, and somewhat dated but there is some good material there. I have not read all the articles (skipped over the dubious ones - hypnosis etc.) but these ones grabbed my attention:
There's a Sucker Born in Every Medial Prefrontal Cortex
Intruding into the Workplace
How the United States Marine Corps Differs from Cults

[youtube=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNSe5XYp6E[/youtube]

For those unfamiliar with the Milgram Experiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_Experiment
Or Zimbardo's prison experiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment

So much stuff treads the edge of this these days. Lessons not to be forgotten.

Please, no controversial political discussion on this topic here (as it can go there fast).

It is not the small cults that concern me, it is the incorporation of these techniques in other everyday situations. Well, not so much concern as just something to be aware of and to keep in the back of your mind at all times.  No, no tinfoil hats involved... just the "Not me" principle. Stop and think.

[marstone]

some interesting reading.  The prison experiment is a good read but flawed in execution.  The big problem I see in it was that the guards were told to act like guards so stereotype and a students want to follow the lead of the person in charge would influence their actions.  It would have been better if the "Guards" would have gotten training to be a guard to they actually knew what the "system" entailed when handling prisoners.

As the experiments were done in 1971, the mindset of college students was very much against the authority of police and military (so soon after the Kent state shootings).  But as a whole it is an interesting experiment that because of modern ethic controls could never be redone so it can't be tested again with different controls on it.

[Bonk]

Agreed on The Prison Experiment. Milgram's Experiment has always been the more sound and impressive demonstration to me.

I believe Milgram's Experiment was a major impetus for the development/re-development of modern scientific ethics. Design an experiment like that today with human subjects and no ethics board would ever approve. Outside the laboratory is another matter however.

It made this curriculum:
http://www.research.umn.edu/ethics/curriculum/history_ethics.html
Looks like a good course.

I was surprised today when four technicians and one administrator in my lab had never heard of Milgram. (the only people I asked) I think I have a "lunch and learn" science ethics session to suggest. I wonder who I could bring in.... or perhaps do it myself?

[marstone]

Agreed on The Prison Experiment. Milgram's Experiment has always been the more sound and impressive demonstration to me.

I believe Milgram's Experiment was a major impetus for the development/re-development of modern scientific ethics. Design an experiment like that today with human subjects and no ethics board would ever approve. Outside the laboratory is another matter however.

It made this curriculum:
http://www.research.umn.edu/ethics/curriculum/history_ethics.html
Looks like a good course.

I was surprised today when four technicians and one administrator in my lab had never heard of Milgram. (the only people I asked) I think I have a "lunch and learn" science ethics session to suggest. I wonder who I could bring in.... or perhaps do it myself?

Sadly a lowly person like me knew of that experiment(Milgrams just didn't remember his name, but remembered the details of the experiment). 

[Sirgod]

The marine corp link doesn't work, it's just Http:\\

Stephen

[Bonk]

Fixed. Thanks Sirgod! I liked that article as it really helps clearly define what a cult is.

[Sirgod]

No Problem bonk. This kind of stuff is fascinating.

I don't know how it is up North, But here in America , you can view almost Cultish like activity every day.

This comes from our own political rallies.  Now let me explain, as this really does not delve into Hot and Spicy territory.

If you view any of our rally's, no matter what side, you will see someone starting a chant, or slogan, and repeating it over and over.

When this occurs, and the way the human brain is set up, It makes it more difficult to persue more critical thinking, or to look at other options.

Let's take something non offensive. Let's say today, we had the Franklin party pushing for the Turkey for the national bird. His opponents might be chanting something like, "Turkey is for Turkey"

Over and over again, the whole crowd chants this, removing any means for them to think logically about why or why not the Turkey should be the National bird.

This is mind control at it's finest man.

Anyways, just thought I'd throw that i, as an example of how easy , and willing people are to et some one else control there thought process.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

If you view any of our rally's, no matter what side, you will see someone starting a chant, or slogan, and repeating it over and over.

When this occurs, and the way the human brain is set up, It makes it more difficult to persue more critical thinking, or to look at other options.

Stephen

It explains Jerry Springer.

[Bonk]

Almost...   

[Nemesis]

Almost...   

You're right.  It explains the audience but not Springer himself.

[Sirgod]

haha, I see what your trying to do here. Goading me and all.

We will apologize for Springer as soon as we get the apology For Alanis Morresset. (sp)


 
Anyways, I thought of another example one can use here.

Not sure what it is called. But It's when a speech giver, purposely uses bad Speaking, a cough, a stutter, mispronounces something , In order to have the audience focus on that, rather then what he is actually saying.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

We will apologize for Springer as soon as we get the apology For Alanis Morresset. (sp)

Stephen

How about PeeWee Herman? 

[Dracho]

Anyone know if there is a public domain copy of Guadacanal Diary?

[Sirgod]

Not that I can find via Gutenberg etc.

Here is Amazons , looks about 9-10 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679640231/ref=nosim/librarythin08-20

Stephen

[Green]

Rick Ross does have his detractors though.  They note his past criminal convictions (some very serious burglary cases when he was much younger) and the civil cases he has lost after he started his deprogramming business.

I dislike cults, but he hits me as a bit of a scammer.