Zimbardo is also famous for studying shyness and trying to help people overcome it. In his book he expresses the view that shyness as a trait is likely to lead to evil-doing through the desire to be accepted. That is, shy people are not likely to be heroes. Phil and I are friends, and I pointed out to him years ago that some people are not shy, just highly sensitive. Yet I can understand his viewpoint--while we would predict at first that HSPs would be the first to notice and resist what is wrong, there are many reasons, such as the fear of others' opinions, that could stop us.
Preventing Evil in Ourselves and Others
Zimbardo provides a list of ways for all of to maintain our personal values under extreme social pressures.
Learn to admit your mistakes so that you are able to end something when you realize you have been doing wrong. Help others to admit theirs by reducing their shame. "We all make mistakes, even horrible ones like this." "Good for you for speaking up."
Pay close attention to what's going on rather than functioning on automatic pilot. Think critically. Imagine the end results of what you are going to do or have been told to do. Easy for HSPs.
Learn to speak up rather than conform to what seems wrong, even if the others resist at first. "Do you realize what's going on here, what we're doing?" You need to do this carefully, so that you will ultimately win them over. You can't be either too defiant or too meek.
Take responsibility rather than allowing responsibility to be diffused into "Everyone's doing it" or "I was just doing what I was told." Do not let others do it either. "Everyone may be doing it, but is it right?" "Do we have to do what we were told to do?" "What about disobeying unjust laws--isn't that true heroism?"
Notice when someone is starting to dehumanize you. Force them to notice you as an individual. Emphasize your titles, degrees, or connections, or if it would help, your human needs and feelings. Make eye contact.
If others are dehumanizing someone, point out things unique about the person as well as the person's similarities to those who want to see that individual as nothing but a member of one group opposed to their own, or simply as a subhuman.
Respect just authority, but rebel against it when it is unjust. Those at the top should be serving those beneath, and if they do not, we should do as all humans have had to do since first living in groups--reject an unjust leader. HSPs are often the first to notice injustice so we can help to see when it is time to disobey.
Do not sacrifice your personal or civic freedom for the illusion of security. This is always how tyrants get their way. HSPs like to feel secure, but look ahead to the greater dangers and point them out to others.
Overall, Zimbardo says the rules boil down to self-awareness, situational sensitivity, and street smarts--the specialties of HSPs, provided we are psychologically savvy and feeling confident that we are as good as anyone. Although he places great emphasis on the situation and the universal tendency to conform, he also obviously believes people can do otherwise. At the end of his book he discusses at great length the heroism of not going along with the group, perhaps much more difficult to achieve than the heroism that is the by-product of following orders. Let's be sure that HSPs continue to be well represented on the lists of the greatest non-conforming heroes, or among those who are unknown but sometimes even greater.
http://www.hsperson.com/pages/2May08.htm
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