Social psychologist Solomon Asch studied the reaction of an individual in an environment where the majority dictates the opinion. To do this, he designed an experiment in which a group of actors met in a room and invited an innocent person (unaware of the details of the meeting), who was called the subject of the experiment.

The researcher asked the group about the size of a line drawn on a piece of paper. A group of actors responded first and gave a “clearly false” answer; In the end, an innocent person gave their opinion after hearing the wrong answers. What happened? The experiment had various applications, and among its conclusions Asch found that only 23% of people have the right opinion despite peer pressure; 72% joined the lie at least once, and 5% gave up and succumbed to the group’s opinion.

Pre-election thoughts

Therefore, it is crucial to know who surrounds us. Well, the corrupt can join, but, additionally, the corrupt group can break up and its members lie in favor of the other side. No crook is faithful. But Asch’s work became more interesting when he changed the experiment to include more innocent people. There he discovered that a man can maintain his opinion if he is supported by at least one other individual. In this way, the support of the truth, even with a small gesture of solidarity, can maintain the trap of dignity.

Educational guide against authoritarianism (II)

While a corrupt and corrupt environment reduces the chances of honesty surviving, Asch realized that if the innocent have even one person who shares their opinion, that little support can be the reserve of virtue that the environment needs.

(…) if the innocent has even one like-minded person, that small support can be a reserve of virtue…

There are areas where criminal groups are the majority, they gather, intimidate, harass and threaten the mental health of the entire structure. The State Attorney’s Office condemned the threats to Diana Salazar a few days ago, and the Government expressed its full support to the official. However, nothing guarantees the emotional peace of the maid and her relatives.

If Diana Salazar (who has a protected environment and a relatively comfortable life) insecurity knocks on the door and threatens what is most precious, what happens to the rest of the country? Ordinary people also require protection; The families of those killed in various parts of the country and entire neighborhoods are demanding action from the state.

Let’s go back to Asch’s work from 1958. Then the scientist expressed concern about society’s attitude; In his own words, he said: “The tendency to adapt in our society is so strong that young people – reasonably intelligent – are ready to lie… And this raises questions about our forms of education and values”. In other words, Asch invites us as social authorities to deepen the decision to act honestly in order to return to the days when we felt safe and confident in life. (OR)