Dalrymple
W131
10 October 2014Do Whatever You Are Told
Theodore Dalrymple attempts to find a reasonable balance between blind disobedience to authority and blind obedience, that some think determined opposition to authority is “principled and romantic” (120). Children often do what they are told; teens on the other hand, like to disobey authority. When they do they think of themselves as rebels or more romantic. He does an excellent job of pointing out how short sided many people are and how they would say that defying authority is the rebel approach. Obedience is more important than disobedience, even though there are many who think the exact opposite. Many people think it is cool to be disobedient or to be a rebel. Dalrymple effectively demonstrates that most people will change the way they view obedience and disobedience when provided information that proves that obedience is needed more than disobedience to make society function properly.
Dalrymple starts with summarizing Milgram’s experiment that took place at Yale, and he states the events that occurred. He added that Milgram proved that people shock strangers, inflict pain, and go against their morals only because they wanted to obey the instructions of the conductor. He notes that although Milgram did not find everything he wanted to know, he found that, “even decent people might become torturers and killers” (120). Dalrymple sees that many kids, teens, and even adults rebel against authority just to please their associates. He tells of a couple of his own encounters with making the decision to obey or disobey. Dalrymple describes that sometimes the choices he had to make were hard, but he knew that in some cases his superiors knew more than him. Dalrymple had to take a back seat and take everything in, while contemplating whether he was making the right decision to obey or not.
Dalrymple is rereading Milgram’s article on a plane 20 years after he had read it the first time, when the lady next to him says;
10 October 2014Do Whatever You Are Told
Theodore Dalrymple attempts to find a reasonable balance between blind disobedience to authority and blind obedience, that some think determined opposition to authority is “principled and romantic” (120). Children often do what they are told; teens on the other hand, like to disobey authority. When they do they think of themselves as rebels or more romantic. He does an excellent job of pointing out how short sided many people are and how they would say that defying authority is the rebel approach. Obedience is more important than disobedience, even though there are many who think the exact opposite. Many people think it is cool to be disobedient or to be a rebel. Dalrymple effectively demonstrates that most people will change the way they view obedience and disobedience when provided information that proves that obedience is needed more than disobedience to make society function properly.
Dalrymple starts with summarizing Milgram’s experiment that took place at Yale, and he states the events that occurred. He added that Milgram proved that people shock strangers, inflict pain, and go against their morals only because they wanted to obey the instructions of the conductor. He notes that although Milgram did not find everything he wanted to know, he found that, “even decent people might become torturers and killers” (120). Dalrymple sees that many kids, teens, and even adults rebel against authority just to please their associates. He tells of a couple of his own encounters with making the decision to obey or disobey. Dalrymple describes that sometimes the choices he had to make were hard, but he knew that in some cases his superiors knew more than him. Dalrymple had to take a back seat and take everything in, while contemplating whether he was making the right decision to obey or not.
Dalrymple is rereading Milgram’s article on a plane 20 years after he had read it the first time, when the lady next to him says;
Cited: Dalrymple, Theodore “Just Do What the Pilot Tells You.” Writing and Reading for ACP Composition Second Ed. Christine R. Farris and Deanna M. Jessup. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solution, 2013. 119-123. Print.