Orders are Orders

We are all familiar with the defense of  those charged with war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials.  Recently, an unpleasant situation occurred and prompted this experiment.

An older woman with a broken leg was placed in a home run by the religious body to which she belonged.  Rooms were also rented to students.   The cleaner was told NOT to clean the older woman’s room. 

The first time the cleaner passed the room, and the woman asked why, she was informed that Mrs. Brown told her not to do so.  The woman, whose room was quite tiny and a sweep and mop wouldn’t take thirty seconds, was stunned, and stood staring at the cleaner who walked away.

During discussions we decided to recreate the event at similar venues.  We would introduce an older woman with a broken leg, and after a week have the matron instruct the cleaner NOT to clean the room of a person who obviously needed more help than the others.

In almost every case, the cleaner passed the room, some becoming almost belligerent in their behaviour.  After a period of time,  the cleaners were asked why they didn’t clean that room.  They, of course, did the ‘Orders are Orders’ song and dance.

When the questioners showed a contempt for the cleaners cruelty in not helping one who needs it, the attitude repeated the belligerence,  a few striving to make it seem that they would be fired if they had done so.

Only a tiny minority showed some version of guilt or remorse, the majority seemed to consider the fact they were given the instruction absolute.   There was no reason to take any facet of the environment into consideration.

This experiment can be fashioned to suit your study, and tragically seems to repeat.