The ways in which we allow our environment to shape our thinking…(and even who we are.)
I’m a diligent podcast listener. I gobble up content as fast as people put it out there, it seems. From natural medicine to mental health, to world-class performers and beyond: I’m there. And I wanted to share a recurring theme, something I’ve been hearing quite a lot about lately.
In a nutshell, it’s this: there are certain ways in which we, as humans, allow our environment to shape the people we are, or will eventually become. It’s an interesting—and frightening—concept, and best illustrated by scientific case study. If you haven’t heard of the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, I’ll take a moment to summarize it below.
In the world of human behavioral analysis, few have contributed like Dr. Philip G. Zimbardo. “Dr. Z”, as he is often called by his peers, is fascinated by the human condition, particularly our ability to perform evil acts. He wanted to analyze how seemingly “good” people have the propensity to do evil, and act evil toward others, but what he found, in my opinion, was much more fascinating and valuable.
The Stanford Prison Experiment, in my opinion, was vile. I wouldn’t have been able to manage or lead it. And don’t judge Dr. Z by this work—he is truly a kind and soft spoken man. He approaches homeless people on the streets of San Francisco, introduces himself, and asks for their names. But this experiment was nothing if not vile, and was cancelled 5 days after inception. Here’s what happened…
An ad was placed in a local newspaper, asking for volunteers to participate in a study of the effects of prison life on human beings. Over 70 people applied, though most were rejected due to drug abuse, mental illness, or other addictive issues. Of the 70 applicants, 24 college students (all males) were selected and asked to take part in the study. 12 were named “prison guards”, and 12, “prisoners”. Dr. Z and his crew built a realistic prison at Stanford, “arrested” the 12 would-be inmates, mirandized them, and brought them to the prison. They were fingerprinted, stripped of their clothing (and names), “de-loused”, and then finally brought to their cells.
From there, things took a dark turn. The 12 students who were named “prison guards” began treating the “prisoners” cruelly. They subjected them to punishments and ridicule, and seemed to revel in the “power” they were given. For the purposes of this article, though, I’m less interested in the guards and the behaviors they manifested, and more interested in the “prisoners” themselves. I’m aware that people can be cruel. We know this. What fascinated me was what happened to the “inmates, and the ways this experiment broke them. Within 48 hours they began referring to themselves by their numbers instead of their names. Within 48 hours they began acting like prisoners. They forgot the fact that it was just an experiment. They fell into depression and suffered bouts of crying and tantrums. The first “prisoner” had a complete mental breakdown within 72 hours of inception and had to be removed from the experiment completely. His fellow “inmates” followed suit over the next several days, until only 1 remained.
Why on earth did this happen? Why—if the students knew it was only a 7-day experiment—did they lose themselves within it? Why did they begin to act like inmates? Why did they become depressed?
I’m no scientist, but I can tell you what I believe. Our minds tell us many stories, and whether we choose to believe and adopt them is up to us. I belong to an online natural health community, where some people post their name, place a comma after it, and then write a condition they suffer from. For example, “Sally – rheumatoid arthritis sufferer”, or “Bob – Hashimoto’s”, or “Linda – Addison’s disease sufferer”. They write their disease after their names as if it’s an educational credit they’ve earned. But what are they really doing? They’re identifying with the disease. The disease is who they are, or have become. Who would they be if it weren’t for the disease? Who would they be fighting? How would they relate to others? What on earth would they talk about?
The “prisoners” in the Stanford Prison Experiment completely forgot who they were. One of the young men, who had a mental breakdown, confessed his belief to the psychologists on duty that he deserved to be there, that he was a “bad person”. Now remember—this was a college student! A bright young boy attending Stanford University! How could he believe these things about himself?
…because his brain tricked him to believe. That’s how. He told himself a story, which he started to believe. He spun all of his negative feelings: rejection, depression, loneliness, disappointment, and arranged them into a specific pattern. That pattern became a specific narrative, which his brain told him, and which he then believed!
I wonder how many of us suffer at our own hand. Do we say to ourselves, “I’m not the kind of person who can make that kind of money”, or “Things like that don’t happen for me,” or “This is as good as life gets; I better be thankful for it.”
No. Wrong. I say bullshit!
We, as humans, set our own limitations. I’m guilty of it, right now, as I sit here writing this! We have the power—good or bad—to convince ourselves of anything! So what, now, are you convincing yourself of?
As humans, we have a murky layer of sludge that exists within us, just below the surface. This “sludge” is made up of all our negative experiences, all the times we’ve been hurt or disappointed, rejected, and abandoned, and it’s all lurking just below the surface. If we aren’t careful, we can let it take control.
I ask, this week, that you take 5 minutes to analyze the stories your brain might be telling you are true. Are they valid? Or are they based in fear? Have you come to believe a preposterous narrative? How has your environment shaped your thinking? Are you playing a certain role, only because your environment is telling you to?
Take control of the narrative. Take it back. Ask yourself what you really want in life, and then shut down any stories that aren’t serving you.
Don’t imprison yourself, friends. Set yourself free. 