Guidelines for the establishment of a dictatorship

I don't know whether you want to be a dictator or what, may be at least you would like to bring your children into line. Or may be, you want not to be dictated to.

Well, here are the ten points culled from Philip Zimbardo's article 'The situational sources of evil" ,  which discusses the findings of the famous Milgram experiment :

This might help you see how you are made to do what you don't want to, or help you make people do what they don't want to:

1. Get some kind of contract, preferable with some legalese.

2. Give them roles to play.

3. Tell them what the rules are: you can use them as you want to, you can change them as it suits you, but people will accept that rules are rules and do whatever you say.

4. Use attractive language: don't say, "we are going to hurt him," instead, "we are helping him" feels better. No matter what horrible act you want done, give it a positive spin.

5. Give them the feeling that they can pass the buck- if they are not responsible for what they do, there is nothing they won't do.

6. Start with a small, more or less symbolic act. If you can make someone steal a chocolate from a child, he will bust a bank for you sooner or later. 

7. Start small, go in small, gradual, incremental steps. If you are going to corrupt someone, you have to be patient at it so that he does not realise the enormity of the situation.

8. Don't let them get out easily- make it tough for them to quit: but allow them to moan about it: allow free speech, insist on obedience. This helps their conscience sleep.

9. I don't know what you plan to do, but be a nice guy at the start, and slowly unfang yourself. Though it gets worse, people will go along with you, because it is just that small bit badder than what they did yesterday. And you are just that small bit bad from what you were yesterday.

10. Give them a cover-story. They are not doing just what you say- they are in a big project- revolution, rebellion, research, resistance, whatever. They have to believe they are doing in a just cause.

Good luck with your slaves.