Currently listening to: “Somebody to Love” – GLEE Cast
After a few weeks of intense geeking-out, finally, finally!, the Zimbardo lecture! Entitled “A Journey from Evil to Heroism”, it started off with a brief run-down about his Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) and its relevant societal implications. Following the grim discussion of systemic evil, he took on a more optimistic tone, speaking of the absolute necessity of encouraging everyday heroism as a bulwark against the human potential for cruelty. I must say I’m amazed and inspired – despite (or perhaps, as a result of) his first-hand experience of experimental subjects travelling down the slippery slope into depravity, his unwavering conviction in the equally powerful potential for positive action is commendable. An absolutely splendid lecture, not a single wasted word.
And I got my book signed! He seems so incredibly approachable and amiable (:
I’ve been blogging quite a bit lately, so you can expect an entry coming up soon about the social enterpreneurship conference which I just attended. Till then, Medieval French Lit demands my attention, the cheeky blighter…
3 replies on “#075: Philip Zimbardo at UBC!”
Amazing how packed the place was. I really enjoyed his talk, but some of my sociology friends were not all that surprised that evil is systematic.
Wow. He was at UBC? Anyhow, I totally got that book from the library last week XD It’s on my upcoming to read list right now :)
@Eastwood: It was ridiculously packed! T’was nice to see people getting this excited about psychology :D I can’t say I’m *surprised*, but it was nice to hear it being articulated for what it was.
@Tyler: Let me know what you think- it’s one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read.