Milgram's Agency Theory: Why We Switch Off Our Moral Compass
Think about the last time you followed a teacher's instructions without question - that's agency theory in action. Milgram discovered that we flip between two mental states throughout our lives.
In our normal autonomous state, we feel responsible for our choices and actions. But when an authority figure appears, we often shift into an agentic state - basically switching off our personal responsibility because we believe we're just following orders. This mental flip is called the agentic shift.
Authority figures massively influence our behaviour because we're conditioned from childhood to respect parents, teachers, police, and doctors. Their uniforms and social status make us trust their expertise and fear potential consequences of disobedience.
Culture plays a huge role too. Collectivist societies (like many Asian cultures) tend to show higher obedience levels than individualistic Western cultures because they prioritise group harmony over personal freedom.
Quick Tip: Remember that proximity matters - we're more likely to obey authority figures when they're physically close to us, but less likely to obey if we can see the direct consequences of our actions.
