ADMS 2511 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Philip Zimbardo, Behavioural Genetics
1 May 2018
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ADMS 2511 Lecture 6 Notes – Heroism
Introduction
• They note that heroism can be found in many spheres of life, including in the behaviour
of whistleblowers, explorers, religious leaders, scientists, Good Samaritans, and those
who beat the odds.
• At some time in our lives, we all show heroism when the situation allows us to.
• If we want to see more heroic behaviour, we need to create more situations that
produce it.
• Stanford psychologist Phil Zimbardo goes even further to argue that our romantic view
that heroes are born is misplaced
• The banality of evil is matched by the banality of heroism.
• Neither is the consequence of dispositional tendencies
• Both emerge in particular situations at particular times, when situational forces play a
compelling role in moving individuals across the line from inaction to action.
• People exhibit brave behaviour every day.
• The okes ho isked thei lies to otai Japa’s eathuake aaged ulea
reactors in 2011 are a great example.
• Thus, we err when we think leaders are uniquely positioned to behave heroically.
• We all can be heroes in the right situation.
• Of course heroes are not like everyone else.
• That is what makes them heroes.
• A geeatio of eidee fo ehaioual geetis eeals that eethig is geeti,
meaning we have yet to discover an important human behaviour that does not have
genetic origins.
• Although we are not aware of any such study with respect to heroism, it would be
surprising if courageous behaviour were not at least partly genetic.
• It’s foolish to thik ouageous people ae ot eeptioal eause of ho the ae.
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