Making People Change

Obviously, people can be forced to behave differently, and that can lead to a complete personality change with new values and attitudes. The "Stockholm Syndrome" is a good example, where hostages take on the beliefs and values of their captors, quickly becoming willing collaborators and even leaders in the movement. Less dramatic because it happens over a longer time, but no less real, is the indoctrination into a cult or into a religion.

You might argue that the people were open to change, willing to abandon there standards and beliefs. No. People are caught up in unexpected situations where their usual coping mechanisms are denied them are subjected to overwhelming and disruptive challenges to their psych. Many respond by taking on the beliefs, philosophies and attitudes of people whose ideas they would normally have rejected out of hand. It is a survival mechanism.

Are there principles here that can allow us to help others whose lifestyle or behaviour is damaging to them and to their relationships? And if so, who would determine who should be subjected to these coercive methods for benign and positive outcomes? My gut reaction (and most people's, I suspect) is that no-one should have the right to impose such methods on another person. But then I think about rapists, torturers, child molesters....

There are always 2 questions to be asked about any action we migh take: can it be done? Should it be done? People can be changed against their will; should they?