Dr. Sunita Sah
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
So Matthew was given one of the prisoners to basically look after. And his prisoner was yelling at the top of his voice in Arabic and he couldn't understand him and neither could his superior. So his superior tells him to shut him up. And Matthew asks, what do you mean? What do you want me to do? And his superior says, it's not complicated. Hit him in the mouth.
So Matthew was given one of the prisoners to basically look after. And his prisoner was yelling at the top of his voice in Arabic and he couldn't understand him and neither could his superior. So his superior tells him to shut him up. And Matthew asks, what do you mean? What do you want me to do? And his superior says, it's not complicated. Hit him in the mouth.
So Matthew was given one of the prisoners to basically look after. And his prisoner was yelling at the top of his voice in Arabic and he couldn't understand him and neither could his superior. So his superior tells him to shut him up. And Matthew asks, what do you mean? What do you want me to do? And his superior says, it's not complicated. Hit him in the mouth.
And so Matthew looks at the prisoner and he sees blood streaming from his nose into his beard. And he doesn't want to hit this man. He really doesn't. But it's a direct order. His best friend is dead. He doesn't want to be seen as a coward. So he raises his hand and he hits him in the mouth. And then his superior says, he's still talking. Hit him again. Hit him in the stomach.
And so Matthew looks at the prisoner and he sees blood streaming from his nose into his beard. And he doesn't want to hit this man. He really doesn't. But it's a direct order. His best friend is dead. He doesn't want to be seen as a coward. So he raises his hand and he hits him in the mouth. And then his superior says, he's still talking. Hit him again. Hit him in the stomach.
And so Matthew looks at the prisoner and he sees blood streaming from his nose into his beard. And he doesn't want to hit this man. He really doesn't. But it's a direct order. His best friend is dead. He doesn't want to be seen as a coward. So he raises his hand and he hits him in the mouth. And then his superior says, he's still talking. Hit him again. Hit him in the stomach.
And I remember Matthew looking at me while he's telling the story. And he said, so I raised my hand and that's what I did.
And I remember Matthew looking at me while he's telling the story. And he said, so I raised my hand and that's what I did.
And I remember Matthew looking at me while he's telling the story. And he said, so I raised my hand and that's what I did.
That's really fascinating to hear. And it aligns with some of my research as well. If you don't admit to yourself or to someone else that you feel something is wrong in this particular situation, if you don't say that you're uncomfortable with it, it's easy to convince yourself that you felt a different way at some point. I mean, cognitive dissonance is very strong, as we can see.
That's really fascinating to hear. And it aligns with some of my research as well. If you don't admit to yourself or to someone else that you feel something is wrong in this particular situation, if you don't say that you're uncomfortable with it, it's easy to convince yourself that you felt a different way at some point. I mean, cognitive dissonance is very strong, as we can see.
That's really fascinating to hear. And it aligns with some of my research as well. If you don't admit to yourself or to someone else that you feel something is wrong in this particular situation, if you don't say that you're uncomfortable with it, it's easy to convince yourself that you felt a different way at some point. I mean, cognitive dissonance is very strong, as we can see.
They felt tension, something that I call resistance against resistance, the resistance to resist, which is that they felt this tension between what they thought was the right thing to do and the tension to go along with what others expected of them.
They felt tension, something that I call resistance against resistance, the resistance to resist, which is that they felt this tension between what they thought was the right thing to do and the tension to go along with what others expected of them.
They felt tension, something that I call resistance against resistance, the resistance to resist, which is that they felt this tension between what they thought was the right thing to do and the tension to go along with what others expected of them.
Well, if we think about that tension, it can actually be a warning sign to us that something is wrong and that we should pay attention to that. It could be the first signal that you should defy before you even consciously know that you want to defy.
Well, if we think about that tension, it can actually be a warning sign to us that something is wrong and that we should pay attention to that. It could be the first signal that you should defy before you even consciously know that you want to defy.
Well, if we think about that tension, it can actually be a warning sign to us that something is wrong and that we should pay attention to that. It could be the first signal that you should defy before you even consciously know that you want to defy.
And I recognize that tension in them because that's the kind of tension I have felt when I want to defy but feel strong pressure to comply with what somebody else is telling me. And it can show up in different ways for different people, but we often experience that kind of tension when we want to go against something.
And I recognize that tension in them because that's the kind of tension I have felt when I want to defy but feel strong pressure to comply with what somebody else is telling me. And it can show up in different ways for different people, but we often experience that kind of tension when we want to go against something.