HOW CAN DUMB PEOPLE CONVINCE SMART PEOPLE TO DO SUCH INSANE, MURDEROUS THINGS? Need examples?...?

Question

Nazi germany, jonestown, 9/11 etc; I know ordinary, good people can stand by and let evil have its way. But, is there also another answer here?

Answer 1

I think you have to refer to psychoanalysis for that one. It also provides an explanation for war. Sigmund Freud believed there was a life instinct, and a death instinct. These are opposing forces in the psyche. The death instinct is essentially destructive and push people towards acts of violence, including suicide. Carl Jung, a student of Freud, pushed this idea further. He believed in a collective unconscious, containing a number of significant images that could direct not only people, but entire nations at certain times in history. He saw war as the ultimate tragedy resulting from the presence of dark archetype in the collective unconscious. Only by become more conscious, by unveiling the subconscious and unmasking archetypes for what they really are can humans hope to overcome them and their effects on our actions.

Answer 2

Thats just it, the dumb people aren't so dumb but quite articulate,sauve etc. Here is a good point, Colin Powell is not stupid, yet when he was presented with the evidence given about Irag he made a case at the UN. Now here we are a few years later only to discovered we and the world were mislead. Mr. Powell when realizing what had happened resigned after Bush's first term. He has come to realized the info received was wrong and the decision to go into Irag was a big mistake.

Even during WW2 many Generals wanted to kill Hilter but the attempts failed. While Hilter was a complete loon he did come up with some fairly wise programs including VW, Auto Baun, he was also an artist whose work sells at a high price today. Needless to say he could bring a crowd together to unite around a common theme which is usually how so called Dumb people can make smart people do stupid things.

Answer 3

The incidences you mention all have a few things in common:
1) A strong persuasive leader-figure. Religious leaders can be very good at this.
2) Mob-mentality-fear of deviating from the group and becoming a victim of the group.
3) Self-denial: no one ever thinks they could be lured into a cult until they are trying to get out.

Many years ago there was an after school special that outlined how The Nazi's came to power, The Wave. It is now available on the Internet: http://www.xenutv.com/us/wave.htm

The best way to stay vigilant is to learn as much as possible about the opposing sides and make decisions based on that rather than taking a leader's word for it. (EX. George W said there were WMD in Iraq. It doesn't matter that he lied, what matters is that he got enough people to believe him.)

Answer 4

How about something even more insane, like denying that the Holocaust ever happened? Hutton Gibson (Mel's dad) will insist that until the day he dies. He's a disgusting excuse for a person.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-02-20-gibson-dad-anti-semite_x.htm

Answer 5

It's usually smart people convincing dumb people to do evil things.

Answer 6

Understanding of true human nature, and the ability to maneuver to your advantage. Get past the negative and see the reality of those people. They were trying to show us what we are, they were trying to show us what we could be. All most see is the bad things that were done.

Answer 7

Negative focus brings about negative situations and experience. Mix that with leverage and you have these incidents.

Answer 8

Witness the power of manipulation! It is inexplicable!!!

Answer 9

Only if they make you mad enough.
If someone repeatedly does stupid things to you, you may end up wanting to kill him.

Answer 10

the question is: who can say for sure who is the dumb and who is the smart?