Most people see themselves as fundamentally good, certain they'd never harm others intentionally. Yet in the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) of 1971, psychologist Philip Zimbardo demonstrated how quickly ordinary people could descend into cruelty when placed in certain environments.

Zimbardo randomly assigned participants the roles of prisoners or guards. Within days, "guards" became authoritarian and abusive, while "prisoners" suffered severe emotional distress. This drastic transformation shocked everyone—including Zimbardo himself.

Connecting to Reality:

In 2003, a horrifying real-world example mirrored the experiment: American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison abused and tortured prisoners. Like the SPE, these abuses weren’t committed by inherently evil individuals but by ordinary soldiers placed in a stressful environment with unclear rules, extreme pressure, and an intense "us vs. them" mentality.

The Psychology Behind Cruelty:

Zimbardo explained this phenomenon using the concept of deindividuation—when individuals lose their sense of personal identity and responsibility within groups, leading to behaviors they’d normally reject.

Why Does This Matter Today?

Understanding situational power helps us recognize—and resist—similar pressures in our schools, workplaces, and social groups. Awareness can empower us to uphold our values, even in challenging environments.

Fun Fact:

Zimbardo had to stop the Stanford Prison Experiment after just six days, though it was planned to last two weeks, due to severe psychological distress among participants.