"Maria Konnikova casts some doubt on that conclusion, arguing that the real lesson is the power of institutions to shape behavior, and how people are shaped by those preexisting expectations." "Yes, power corrupts. But power does not corrupt everyone equally.

As just a middle aged man who has observed many people, including my own behavior; I have honestly found that 99% of the people(men, and women equally) will go along with the crowd/institution as long as it's legal, and involves their livelihood.

My antidodial observations are mainly from work, or educational enviorments. I was in a professional school years ago. (I won't mention the profession out of privacy.)

The first day of class all the students were bright eyed, and filled with optimism. Well as time went by it was pretty obvious that the profession was based on antidodial evidence.
I was beyond disillusioned, but kinda knew what I was getting into before paying all that tuition money. At the time, their was still enough bad research which confused the the truth that the whole profession was placebo based, or basically a scam. I noticed all the students, and all, but one Instructor, made up reasons to believe in the program/profession.

These students, and teachers financial/educational lives would have been negatively effected if they questioned the profession too much. So what did my class(around 75 people) do when it became obvious the profession really didn't work the way we told, or believed?

The students did absolutely nothing!

They didn't question the bad science the instructors were spewing. Their was only one student who dared to question the profession, and his eventual livelyhood, as I recall. The smarter students rationalized, or went onto denial about the profession that was based on basically antidodial evidence, and naieve politicians. Not one student walked away from that program--well one, but for other reasons(nervous breakdown--I recall?). A married couple was in my class. Her husband(23?, perfect health) had a stroke on a Sunday afternoon, after getting a treatment from this profession/school. She showed up on class a few days later. Her belief/denial was so strong, I don't think she even dared to link his death with the school's faulty theories?

My point is no one dared to question the school/profession.
Their hasn't been a week that goes by that I don't think about the findings of that Stanford Prision Experiment, and my experience at that school.

I have spent over twenty years looking at people in institutions(educational, occupational, personal relationships), and found that most people just go along with the crowd, or institution. Yes, I have found a few Rebels, but true Rebels--I can literally count on one hand. By true, I mean calling the institution's behavior out, or leaving.

The amount of compliance to bad/questionable institutions; I find very depressing. No, there's no utopia, but what people do to other people/environment because they--can, just reminds me how scared/desperate/selfish/malleable, and in some cases just evil we all are?

(This is nothing more than my ramblings on my life. It's purposely vague, because I don't have facts--just antidotal evidence, and observations. I do think about the intricacies of that study almost daily, and its findings hold up on too many of my life situations/events. Sorry, about my writing. I just don't have the energy to edit this. By the way, if you are a true Rebel; you have my praise, and gratitude. I don't recommend fighting the institution if you are poor--you might become homeless? I was no Rebel. I was in the 99%.)

If you have become Institutionalized by our society; I don't see anything wrong with fighting the system in little ways? Just doing the right thing every once in awhile helps? Nothing Big, and Dramatic, but truely doing the right thing in a merky situation might help? Wow--I feel depressed.)