Some time ago I was reading a blog post where someone was talking about being tired of Gandhi being put on a pedestal, that he was actually racist and nationalistic. Now I’m not going to pretend to know enough about Ghandi’s motives or beliefs to say what I think of that but someone commented that they were uncomfortable “whenever anyone is deified”. Poignant comment I thought. Indeed, we should all be extremely uncomfortable with this.

It’s important we learn from historical figures, but we should learn about them and their greatness – for whatever reason – in their humanness. In the same vein I believe we should learn about vilified historic figures on a more human level. I’m uncomfortable with people being remembered as more than or less than human, whatever great or horror they have been responsible for.

Take Hitler for an obvious example. He wasn’t some sub or super human man capable of unspeakable things beyond human capability. He was a human, he did unspeakable things and had others do these things with him that were completely within the human capability -as horrifying as that sounds- when we realize that and acknowledge it (not just of Hitler or of negative figures but of all historical figures) maybe we can begin to understand ourselves, our society and how to prevent these sorts of things happening again or these sorts of people affecting so many in such a bad and lasting way – although with the current world climate – not naming any names – I’m not feeling optimistic.

But what happened was inhuman!

Unfortunately, no, it was tragically human.

After WWII Stanley Milgram wanted to find out why Nazi soldiers followed the orders to carry out Hitlers horrors. He did a study to see how far an average person would go in inflicting pain (electric shocks at increasing strengths) on a heard but not seen person on the order of an Authority figure (in this case Milgram, the man running the experiment).

If the study subject expressed a desire to quit administering the shocks, the experimenter would prod four times:

1. Please continue.
2. The experiment requires that you continue.
3. It is absolutely essential that you continue.
4. You have no other choice, you must go on.

If, after four prods, the subject still refused to administer the shock, the experiment was over.

In his initial study, though all participants at some point required prodding, 65 percent of people (26 out of 40) continued to submit the stranger to electric shocks all the way up to (a fake) 450-volts, a dose that was identified as fatal and was administered after the screaming turned to silence.

Quote from Sociological Images who recently posted the original recruitment flier for that experiment.

Sociopathic but “Normal”

Then there’s the recent post Sociological Images did on a study by Neuroscientist James Fallon. Fallon specializes in Sociopaths and has been studying them for 20 years.

His research had demonstrated that sociopath brains have a distinct appearance: dark patches in the orbital cortex, the part of the brain responsible for moral thinking and controlling impulses.

Fallons Mother recently mentioned that there were some seriously violent people in their family tree.

Because Fallon knows that the atypical neurology associated with sociopaths runs in families, he decided to scan the brains of all his family members.  No one had the dark patches.

Except him…

Not only did he have the neurology of a typical sociopath, he also carried a genetic determinant known to be associated with extreme violence.

Sociological Images goes on to say Fallon doesn’t know why he isn’t a sociopath, scientists believe that there needs to be an experiential trigger. So being a sociopath is genetic, neurological and experiential (so, triggered by an experience, like Abuse for example).

Study after study show we’re all human

There are numerous studies showing that it is very human to be capable of treating our fellow human beings less than, to the highest degree of discrimination and violence, in the right (or wrong) environment.

The 1968 A Class Divided Racial discrimination experiment.

Jane Elliott is an American teacher and anti-racism activist. With no formal training in psychology, she created the famous “blue-eyed/brown-eyed” exercise, first done with grade school children in the 1960s, and which later became the basis for her career in diversity training.

The 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment

At this point it became clear that we had to end the study. We had created an overwhelmingly powerful situation — a situation in which prisoners were withdrawing and behaving in pathological ways, and in which some of the guards were behaving sadistically.

This should make it abundantly clear that learning about and understanding historical figures – be they tragic or heroic – in a human context is necessary to understanding ourselves and our own capabilities and either allowing ourselves our full potential, or keeping ourselves in check.

Even the Prophet (peace be upon him) was human! Of course, there’s a difference between Prophets and the rest of us and they deserve the pedestal and our reverence, but the fact remains, they are human, no more and no less and forgetting that is how people get to the point of practicing shirk (worshiping partners with God). A’audhubillahi (I seek refuge with God).

Historic Significance

Learning about people in history on a more human level would do a lot for understanding society and the issues and divides within it. Perhaps even enabling us to come to some sort of understanding between the writers of history and those whose history is sorely under-represented – or untold.

Learning about the great things people have done gives us a look at the potential in all of us, the things we should teach our children they are capable of. Looking at the flaws in these people reminds us that we are all human, and making mistakes and being imperfect, does not affect our ability for greater good.

Likewise, learning about the tragic figures in history can teach us how to prevent these things happening to individuals, what might lead an individual to that point, and indeed, in the case of Hitler and many others, how to prevent horrors from happening at the hands of these damaged individuals. Learning about their likes and talents will remind us that even those who do awful things, are still human, and capable of good and worth something to someone.

It all reminds us of the human capability, that we too have the capacity for great things and awful things.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is oppressed.” The Prophet was asked: “It is right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” He replied: “By preventing him from oppressing others.” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Hadith 624)

May Allah increase the good in us and prevent us from the bad.

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