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The Lucifer Effect

            The Lucifer Effect shows how our brains can be trained to think and can cause "reasonable people to act irrationally" (Zimbardo 11). Often times when a person is going through a hard time or did something wrong, we find someone or something to blame instead of ourselves. A common approach used to train citizens' brains into thinking stereotyped conceptions is through government propaganda. This is done in order to dehumanize the "enemy". By doing this, it allows our brain to justify evil behaviors such as rape, torture and murder. When we train our brain to think of the object as "non-human", a person would be more likely to do anything because of the mindset of being superior. An example of such behavior is Nazi Germany. Hitler's trained German's brains' to believe that Jewish people were terrible people who caused Germany to be in a depression. At that time, the Germans were in a hard time in their history and needed someone to blame for the situation they were in. In order to plasticize the peoples' brains, Hitler "seeded in textbooks and images and texts that made Jews seem not worthy of human compassion" (11). This was drilled into their heads over and over again over a period of time, so the people believed it. This led to the justification of evil and with "permission" (13) from authority that it is okay to inflict pain and suffering on a group of people. Because Hitler trained the Germans to believe the Jewish people weren't equal to them, the people did things they never thought they would ever do before they were put in that situation. People are caught up in what their leaders are telling them to do and being brainwashed into doing anything because their charismatic leader says so. Zimbardo states, "We can learn to become good or evil regardless of our genetic inheritance, personality, or family legacy" (7). This shows the power of our brains can manipulate other people into thinking whatever it is we want which can also be viewed as a negative thing.


Essays Related to The Lucifer Effect

1. Orgin Of Evil

The origin of evil is the first domino in the sinful domino effect. ... Yes, God did make everything good, but he did give everything a free spirit, so that then places the blame either on Man or Lucifer. ... The angel Lucifer was God's top angel. ... Little by little, Lucifer came to indulge a desire for self-exaltation. ... It is this act of self-desire that causes Lucifer to fall from heaven, and this act happened after God created everything, but before Adam and Eve's fall. ...

  • Word Count: 881
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Shakespeare and His Honorable Villains

Lucifer, of the Supernatural series, was the cause of mischief; he was once an archangel who disobeyed God and was banished from Heaven. ... In Shakespeare's tragic play Richard III, Richard plays a man of manipulation, evilness, lack of morality, and swiftness, which are all the qualities Lucifer possesses. Also Jim Moriarty, a villain in the series Sherlock, is another villain who possesses all the qualities of the Devil, Lucifer. ... Lucifer requires that you give him access to the vessel, human body, so that he may roam the earth. ... Many people would say Richard was one of the firs...

  • Word Count: 1103
  • Approx Pages: 4

3. JFK's Effect on American Literature

The murder of a single man has lead to a cycle involving the sorrow of an entire nation, government secrecy and thousands of works of literature. The initial impact of the assassination of John F. Kennedy lead to numerous works of poetry and artwork. The federal government's possible coverup lead ...

  • Word Count: 2501
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. An Analysis of Obedience and Conformity

Social influence can have a powerful effect on a person if they are new to the organization and have fear of being singled out as the outsider. ... The "Lucifer Effect" relates to Eichmann's defense because he felt what he did was the right thing to do. ... The "Lucifer Effect" is when people tend to do things that others want them to do because they want to be accepted as a part of a group. ...

  • Word Count: 1351
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Why is the Devil sometimes thought to be the hero in...

His first notable appearance in literature occurred in the Bible, when he was called Lucifer, God's most senior angel. ... Wolland is not effected by man's desires, his greed, or vanity. ... This does not deny that there are evil acts, but denies that people themselves are evil, which in turn puts forward that the Devil himself is not evil at heart (this could well be true, as Lucifer was an angel, and fell from grace through his actions). ... Lucifer was an angel who was turned out of Heaven and became Satan, and for all his chaos on Earth, Wolland reunites the master and Margarit...

  • Word Count: 1586
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Why is the Devil sometimes thought to be the hero in...

His first notable appearance in literature occurred in the Bible, when he was called Lucifer, God's most senior angel. ... Wolland is not effected by man's desires, his greed, or vanity. ... This does not deny that there are evil acts, but denies that people themselves are evil, which in turn puts forward that the Devil himself is not evil at heart (this could well be true, as Lucifer was an angel, and fell from grace through his actions). ... Lucifer was an angel who was turned out of Heaven and became Satan, and for all his chaos on Earth, Wolland reunites the master and Margarit...

  • Word Count: 1586
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Censoring in music

Censorship is not always protected by the first amendment. Obscenity is just one of the action not protected by the first amendment. There are limitations on the right of free speech. "The word "censorship" means prior restraint of First Amendment rights by government." (Enforcement) Some say that...

  • Word Count: 666
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Analyzation of William Blake

and the mention of the words "hammer", "chain", "furnace", and "anvil" symbolize a fallen angel, possibly Lucifer (Satan), creating the tyger in such a way as a blacksmith would. ... As negligible as it may seem, the type of stanza Blake uses has great effect on the poem. ...

  • Word Count: 896
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Freemasonry - Origins, History and Myths

This rumor has been denied by Masons although they do admit that the affairs of the government often had a direct effect on the brotherhood. ... A few of the myths surround the Masons include: Freemasons worship Lucifer or Satan, Freemasons intertwine various symbols and numerology into modern culture, such as corporate logos, and that they have a plan for world domination. ...

  • Word Count: 694
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography

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