Why do we stick up for a system or institution we live in—a government, company, or marriage—even when anyone else can see it is failing miserably? Why do we resist change even when the system is corrupt or unjust?
Does system justification, system threat, system dependence, system inescapability, low personal control in separate or as a whole are responsible for such a behavior?
A lot of people are corrupt just because they think it is the system. They feel, they can do nothing about that. While there are people who try to change it in good faith but ultimately gets involved in the system themselves.
Thinking of the scenario, reminds me one of those childhood stories. I call it the 'Typically Corrupt and Inefficient System', Story!
"There was a banana hanging on a string inside a cage. Below it were stairs. Say some six monkey were allowed to enter the cage. A monkey touched the stairs, to get hold of the banana. All of the other monkeys were then sprayed with cold water. After a while, another monkey made an attempt with the same result - all the other monkeys were sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tried to climb the stairs, the other monkeys tried to prevent it.
Now, the cold water was put away. One monkey was removed from the cage and was replaced with a new one. The new monkey saw the banana and wanted to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attacked him. After another attempt and attack, he knew that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, another of the original five monkeys was removed and was replaced with new one. The newcomer went to the stairs and was attacked. The previous newcomer took part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, third original monkey was replaced with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.
Every time the newest monkey took to the stairs, he was attacked. Most of the monkeys that were beating him had no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they were participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys had ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approached the stairs to try for the banana."
Why not?
Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.
Take this story as our system. The "cage" is the organization/system, "banana" is the objective/assignment, the stairs are the "procedures", the "cold water" is the system pressure, and the "monkeys" are employees.
When we’re threatened we defend ourselves—and our systems. In times of crisis, we want to believe the system works. Say, it is the inflation! Eyes on the Government!
When we feel we can’t escape a system, we adapt. That includes feeling okay about things we might otherwise consider undesirable.
The strange thing which I realized is that most of the people do not want to be a part of such a system. They do it because they have to give their share to their senior officials. If they will not take the bribe, they have to give it from their pocket. And so the cycle goes on.
You would think that when people are stuck with a system, they would want to change it more. But in fact, the more stuck they are, the more likely are they to explain away its shortcomings.
People don’t rise up in what would seem their own best interests. This could be witnessed in day to day life. Take up any scenario, say, you are driving a two wheeler motor vehicle. In the middle of nowhere traffic police appears. They scrutinize your documents. Suppose you forgot your driving licence. What will you do? Ask me, 70 out of 100 will bribe the police and much surprise to this, almost 60 policemen out of 70 will accept your "generous gift"!
If you want to understand how to get social change to happen, you need to understand the conditions that make people resist change and what makes them open to acknowledging that change might be a necessity.
This is the grand illusion: that "decent people" will make all the difference. We know that in corrupt systems, decent people end up with two options: conform or be crushed. Happily for human nature, there are always good, moral people who look at what's happening around them and decide that they can't live with themselves if they go along with it. Unhappily for human society, such people are almost always bullied, marginalized and destroyed.
They say, if you want to change the system, be the part of the system, reach the top of it and then change it. It requires a greater personal control. The less control people feel over their own lives, the more they endorse systems and leaders that offer a sense of order.
And I hope, the people sitting at the top of the system have a greater personal control or will develop. Because Hope Never Dies...
Does system justification, system threat, system dependence, system inescapability, low personal control in separate or as a whole are responsible for such a behavior?
A lot of people are corrupt just because they think it is the system. They feel, they can do nothing about that. While there are people who try to change it in good faith but ultimately gets involved in the system themselves.
Thinking of the scenario, reminds me one of those childhood stories. I call it the 'Typically Corrupt and Inefficient System', Story!
"There was a banana hanging on a string inside a cage. Below it were stairs. Say some six monkey were allowed to enter the cage. A monkey touched the stairs, to get hold of the banana. All of the other monkeys were then sprayed with cold water. After a while, another monkey made an attempt with the same result - all the other monkeys were sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tried to climb the stairs, the other monkeys tried to prevent it.
Now, the cold water was put away. One monkey was removed from the cage and was replaced with a new one. The new monkey saw the banana and wanted to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attacked him. After another attempt and attack, he knew that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, another of the original five monkeys was removed and was replaced with new one. The newcomer went to the stairs and was attacked. The previous newcomer took part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, third original monkey was replaced with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.
Every time the newest monkey took to the stairs, he was attacked. Most of the monkeys that were beating him had no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they were participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys had ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approached the stairs to try for the banana."
Why not?
Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.
Take this story as our system. The "cage" is the organization/system, "banana" is the objective/assignment, the stairs are the "procedures", the "cold water" is the system pressure, and the "monkeys" are employees.
When we’re threatened we defend ourselves—and our systems. In times of crisis, we want to believe the system works. Say, it is the inflation! Eyes on the Government!
When we feel we can’t escape a system, we adapt. That includes feeling okay about things we might otherwise consider undesirable.
The strange thing which I realized is that most of the people do not want to be a part of such a system. They do it because they have to give their share to their senior officials. If they will not take the bribe, they have to give it from their pocket. And so the cycle goes on.
You would think that when people are stuck with a system, they would want to change it more. But in fact, the more stuck they are, the more likely are they to explain away its shortcomings.
 |
| The so called "SYSTEM" |
People don’t rise up in what would seem their own best interests. This could be witnessed in day to day life. Take up any scenario, say, you are driving a two wheeler motor vehicle. In the middle of nowhere traffic police appears. They scrutinize your documents. Suppose you forgot your driving licence. What will you do? Ask me, 70 out of 100 will bribe the police and much surprise to this, almost 60 policemen out of 70 will accept your "generous gift"!
If you want to understand how to get social change to happen, you need to understand the conditions that make people resist change and what makes them open to acknowledging that change might be a necessity.
This is the grand illusion: that "decent people" will make all the difference. We know that in corrupt systems, decent people end up with two options: conform or be crushed. Happily for human nature, there are always good, moral people who look at what's happening around them and decide that they can't live with themselves if they go along with it. Unhappily for human society, such people are almost always bullied, marginalized and destroyed.
They say, if you want to change the system, be the part of the system, reach the top of it and then change it. It requires a greater personal control. The less control people feel over their own lives, the more they endorse systems and leaders that offer a sense of order.
And I hope, the people sitting at the top of the system have a greater personal control or will develop. Because Hope Never Dies...
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