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It is amazing to think that a perfectly good individual could just turn evil. This brings us to question ourselves if we are capable of evil. Most people would want to say “no”, but based on Zimbardo’s findings we should not reach this conclusion too quickly. In opening the book, we see an image from M.C. Escher’s “Circle Limit IV,” and depending on how we see this image, we will either see angels or demons/devils. Fundamentally what is derived from the image, are some psychological truths that we can’t deny. First, our world consists of both good and evil. Second, there is a fine line between good and evil which can easily be permeated. Third, it is possible for angels to become devils and vice-versa. There are many interpretations of evil, but what is it from a psychological standpoint? According to Zimbardo, evil is the intentional behavior that creates harm, abuse or dehumanization or furthermore using authority and power to get others to act as such. Throughout the book, we learn the dynamics of character transformations and evil from a psychological standpoint. Zimbardo’s book focuses greatly on the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) but also sheds light on the opposite end of the spectrum: heroism.

Zimbardo’s book should be approached with a psychological perspective in mind. Zimbardo is a professor emeritus of psychology at Stanford University. He has successfully sold millions of copies of his more famous works and is very involved in the Stanford Research center at Stanford University. Zimbardo is considered an expert by many in psychological studies, especially concerning character transformations due to his world-known Stanford Prison Experiment.

The Lucifer Effect comes with the premise that we really only know ours...

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...r in-group biases, which is to say that we should be open to accepting individuality and differences amongst others.

Finally, Zimbardo shifts to the idea of heroism. In some ways, heroism focuses on all that is right with human nature. It also shows that people are capable of resisting evil. As we know, heroes can come in many forms. Very simply stated, a hero is an ordinary person who has just done something extraordinary. Interestingly, we can see the parallels between heroism and evil because due to situational forces, we can just as easily become heroes as we can become evil. The big thing that we can take away from all of this is that heroism basically forges our human connection. Heroes should be celebrated since they are essential to us. They counter evils and bring out the greater good in all of us. Collectively, we can be heroes, each and every one of us.