Why Do People Obey?

Essay from the year 2022 in the subject Psychology - Personality Psychology, grade: 1,3, Oxford University, language: English, abstract: Our everyday life is full of acts of obedience. According to the Oxford Dictionary, to obey means "to do what you are told or expected to do". Even if people are not directly told to do something, they often obey the law and other social expectations, or religious and cultural rules. From a psychological point of view, obedience is part of human behaviour and a form of social influence. Obedience has different implications; there are various forms, such as following the laws as laid down in the constitution of a democratic country, thereby enabling a positive communal life for all citizens. However, there are also horrifying examples of obedience in human history, where obeying instructions led to the cruellest possible actions. In this essay the following question will be addressed: Why do people obey?