The Third Wave Experiment Explained | The Study That Proves We Were All Born Evil

This video is about the third wave experiment. Explained from the beginning, how Ron Jones (the experimenter) came up with the idea of conducting a social experiment by making up a movement called "The Third Wave" movement in his classroom. What's interesting about the experiment is how it sheds light about fascism, particularly how it shatters the false view that the Nazis were monsters because of how they treat their victims, when in reality, they were ordinary people like you and me.

[TheEniqma]

Took longer than expected to make this episode. So for those of you who were patiently waiting for an episode, from the bottom of my heart, thank you! 🙆🏻‍♂️✨

[maddoxmonteza]

imagine being the person who was sick for 6 days and missed all this

[dogsarethecutest]

"We give our freedom up for the chance of being special" This is deep.

[joeroscoe]

Very rarely do people think to themselves "What I'm doing is evil."
Far less than we observe daily

[jacobpeddycord]

This made me think of the line, “Ordinary people are capable of Extraordinary things. Those could be good or bad. It’s up to the individual to decide.” It’s chilling to think about the horrific things everyone is capable of.

[Auron]

People often forget that evil is not just the grand, large examples. It's the little things one justifies into a box they don't need to think about.

[KingOpenReview]

"We're born evil."
Experiment: *Shows normal people becoming evil over time after careful manipulation of concepts that happen to be good for survival.*

[Lily]

It just proves that there are few ppl that can really think off there own and have the balls to stand up against what everybody thinks

[nishattasnim]

This is why it's so important to question the authority

[slimecat]

This isn't about if people are inherently evil. It's about how people are easily persuaded by authority.

[tacticalturtlez]

“villains who twirl their moustaches are easy to spot. Those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well camouflaged.” The issue is not about being born bad, it is rather about being convinced the bad is good.

[henriquebbotelho]

The movie based on this experiment “the third wave” is absolutely amazing, both in a philosophical way and a cinematic way

[dalton]

I did something like this in 3rd grade. Called each other the knights. I was the white knight and my friend was the black knight. We grew substantially in 3 weeks till we recruited every student at recess ( close to 100 students ). Then we organized a rebellion and stormed the 3 teachers watching us and ultimately overpowered them. Then we charged the gates and got into the centers of the school. We saw the front gate of the school was open and charged it. 100 kids running like a pack of hungry wolves. I heard grunting and screaming in the back. I looked back and it was the janitor blasting through us like a quarterback trying to beat us to the gate. He beat us to the gate and locked it from the outside. Every teacher got involved at that point and we were all sent home to our parents 2 hours later after a talk from the principal. 😂

It’s so easy to form a group like this as long as there’s no immediate discipline. I remember when we were charging in unison it was the best feeling in the world. Tribal and free.

[burnttoast]

Anyone that has been bullied in school will not have a hard time understanding that people will do bad things if they can get away with it. People will readily exclude others so they can feel special.

[Santiago_sose]

Giving a purpose to a person is very powerful. A lot of us live the day by day without direction, but at the moment we get a purpose we exceed the expectations of our capabilities. No matter what the purpose is, we all just want too live our lives feeling we are fighting for something of value. This is ingrained in human nature.

[wilhelminekoch]

I read a book about this and over the time I was weirdly convinced of his idea and felt the sense of community alongside with the students. I was even mad at the few students who stood up against the Third Wave. Imagine how shocked I was at the end and more shocked when I reflected on what I just believed was right.

[curious_one]

The key is to tell them upfront that "its just an experiment", but also that one of their grades depends upon participation.
Of course, the one conducting needs to have some authority first.

[burnttoast]

a teacher creates new ideology: other teachers *calm*
the same teacher creates a new salute: other teachers *calm*
the ideology grows fast: other teachers *calm*
parents don't want their child to go to school because the ideology: other teachers *calm*
absences increase: other teachers *calm*
the students assign themselves as guards: other teachers *calm*
the members of the ideology exile people to the library: other teachers *calm*
3 students get beaten due to ideology: other teachers *calm*
the teacher dissolves ideology: other teachers *calm*

[NexAngelus]

"But goodness alone is never enough. A hard, cold wisdom is required for goodness to accomplish good. Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil."
-Robert A. Heinlein, _Stranger In A Strange Land_

[ShinSheel]

One small issue: it didn't happen
All the story comes from few movies and they come from Jones bragging decades later. All *authentic* evidence show everything went casual back then
Even the made-up story is comical, it implies reader doesn't know most of those are just normal school tropes