Psychology: sticking with the group

I watched some fascinating short clips at the Exploratorium recently on psychology, particularly on sticking with a group and following a leader.

Humans have evolved to conform to a group. Conformity is a stronger instinct than self-preservation.

In one study, a person was shown to a room, given instructions to stay there until called, and then left alone. A few minutes later, a fire alarm went off. When the person was alone, they quickly left the building. That was the control study. Every single person left the burning room.

In the group-conformity study, the person was left in a room with a group of others, and told to stay there until called. The fire alarm went off. The others were all actors. They all stayed in their seats and acted unperturbed. The study person looked up, looked around, realized that no one else was leaving, and so also acted like nothing was happening. They stayed in the room.

The investigators added to this experiment. Surely if there was smoke and actual fire the person would leave? They rigged the room so smoke was coming from the corner. The fire alarm went off. The actors pretended to be unperturbed. What about the person in the study? Did they leave? Now that the building was obviously on fire? Nope.

Only one person in the experiment reacted differently. "Is that smoke?" he said. "Shouldn't we leave?" The other group members responded, "We were told to stay here until called." And they didn't move. The person in the study went to the door, as if to leave, but when no one else moved, he sat back down for ten more minutes. Ten minutes! Long enough that he would have been dead from smoke inhalation had it been a real fire.

It is so difficult psychologically to leave a group that you will die before leaving, before not conforming.

This experiment, this short film, is all I can think of as I watch the US elections and the republican party burn up, consumed with hatred, racism, sexism and a candidate ready to burn it all down.

I respect the most the handful of people who refused from the beginning to endorse such a candidate. I respect still those who are able to stand up and leave the burning room.

But wow.

Wow.

Wow.

...

I think it's time for me to leave, guys.