Intelligent Disobedience
Intelligent Disobedience
Doing Right When What You're Told to Do Is Wrong
Edition: 1
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 07 July, 2015
Available in all formats
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ISBN:
9781626564299
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ISBN:
9781626564282
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They say the rules are made to be broken. But which rules? When should you break them? And how do you do it? Ira Chaleff explores when following orders does more harm than good and what to do about it.
Abu Ghraib prison. Enron. Abuse in the Catholic Church. NSA surveillance of blameless citizens. Needless deaths at Veterans Administration hospitals. These scandals could have been prevented if, early on, people had said no to their higher-ups. And why didn't they? Because, says Ira Chaleff, they didn't know how. It's much harder than it might seem. In this very timely new book, the author of the classic The Courageous Follower goes deeply into when and how to disobey orders and disagree with decisions in an intelligent, helpful, and ethical way.
Chaleff took his inspiration, and the book's title, from a concept used in guide dog training. Guide dogs must be able to recognize a command that would put the human and themselves at risk of serious harm, learn how to effectively resist the command, and identify alternate safer options for achieving a legitimate goal. This is precisely what Chaleff helps human beings do. He delves into the psychological dynamics of obedience, drawing in particular on Stanley Milgram's seminal Yale experiments where volunteers were induced to administer shocks to innocent people. Using dozens of vivid examples involving major historical events and everyday situations, he offers advice on judging whether a situation calls for intelligent disobedience, how to most effectively express opposition, and how we can create a culture where, rather than “just following orders,” citizens are encouraged to think about whether or not those orders actually make sense.
Abu Ghraib prison. Enron. Abuse in the Catholic Church. NSA surveillance of blameless citizens. Needless deaths at Veterans Administration hospitals. These scandals could have been prevented if, early on, people had said no to their higher-ups. And why didn't they? Because, says Ira Chaleff, they didn't know how. It's much harder than it might seem. In this very timely new book, the author of the classic The Courageous Follower goes deeply into when and how to disobey orders and disagree with decisions in an intelligent, helpful, and ethical way.
Chaleff took his inspiration, and the book's title, from a concept used in guide dog training. Guide dogs must be able to recognize a command that would put the human and themselves at risk of serious harm, learn how to effectively resist the command, and identify alternate safer options for achieving a legitimate goal. This is precisely what Chaleff helps human beings do. He delves into the psychological dynamics of obedience, drawing in particular on Stanley Milgram's seminal Yale experiments where volunteers were induced to administer shocks to innocent people. Using dozens of vivid examples involving major historical events and everyday situations, he offers advice on judging whether a situation calls for intelligent disobedience, how to most effectively express opposition, and how we can create a culture where, rather than “just following orders,” citizens are encouraged to think about whether or not those orders actually make sense.
Description
They say the rules are made to be broken. But which rules? When should you break them? And how do you do it? Ira Chaleff explores when following orders does more harm than good and what to do about it.
Abu Ghraib prison. Enron. Abuse in the Catholic Church. NSA surveillance of blameless citizens. Needless deaths at Veterans Administration hospitals. These scandals could have been prevented if, early on, people had said no to their higher-ups. And why didn't they? Because, says Ira Chaleff, they didn't know how. It's much harder than it might seem. In this very timely new book, the author of the classic The Courageous Follower goes deeply into when and how to disobey orders and disagree with decisions in an intelligent, helpful, and ethical way.
Chaleff took his inspiration, and the book's title, from a concept used in guide dog training. Guide dogs must be able to recognize a command that would put the human and themselves at risk of serious harm, learn how to effectively resist the command, and identify alternate safer options for achieving a legitimate goal. This is precisely what Chaleff helps human beings do. He delves into the psychological dynamics of obedience, drawing in particular on Stanley Milgram's seminal Yale experiments where volunteers were induced to administer shocks to innocent people. Using dozens of vivid examples involving major historical events and everyday situations, he offers advice on judging whether a situation calls for intelligent disobedience, how to most effectively express opposition, and how we can create a culture where, rather than “just following orders,” citizens are encouraged to think about whether or not those orders actually make sense.
Abu Ghraib prison. Enron. Abuse in the Catholic Church. NSA surveillance of blameless citizens. Needless deaths at Veterans Administration hospitals. These scandals could have been prevented if, early on, people had said no to their higher-ups. And why didn't they? Because, says Ira Chaleff, they didn't know how. It's much harder than it might seem. In this very timely new book, the author of the classic The Courageous Follower goes deeply into when and how to disobey orders and disagree with decisions in an intelligent, helpful, and ethical way.
Chaleff took his inspiration, and the book's title, from a concept used in guide dog training. Guide dogs must be able to recognize a command that would put the human and themselves at risk of serious harm, learn how to effectively resist the command, and identify alternate safer options for achieving a legitimate goal. This is precisely what Chaleff helps human beings do. He delves into the psychological dynamics of obedience, drawing in particular on Stanley Milgram's seminal Yale experiments where volunteers were induced to administer shocks to innocent people. Using dozens of vivid examples involving major historical events and everyday situations, he offers advice on judging whether a situation calls for intelligent disobedience, how to most effectively express opposition, and how we can create a culture where, rather than “just following orders,” citizens are encouraged to think about whether or not those orders actually make sense.
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface • How I Learned about Intelligent Disobedience
- Foreword • by Phil Zimbardo, Creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment
- Introduction • Creating Cultures that Do the Right Thing
- Chapter One • The Pressure to Obey: What Would You Do?
- Chapter Two • Obedience and Disobedience: When Is Which Right?
- Chapter Three • Breaking the Habit: It Takes More than You Think
- Chapter Four • Finding Your Voice: Saying “No” So You Are Heard
- Chapter Five • Understanding the True Risks of Saying “Yes”
- Chapter Six • The Dynamics of Authority and Obedience
- Chapter Seven • Changing the Dynamics
- Chapter Eight • The Crucial Lessons from Guide Dog Training
- Chapter Nine • The Price of Teaching Obedience Too Well
- Chapter Ten • Teaching Intelligent Disobedience: Where Do the Lessons Begin?
- Chapter Eleven • Doing Right at Work: Saving Lives and Accomplishing Missions
- Conclusion • Personal Accountability and Cultures that Honor Doing Right
- Appendix • The Courageous Follower: A Model for Creating Powerful Partnerships
- Notes
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- About the Author
- Other Books by the Author
Review quote
“Reading this remarkable book has given me new hope for humanity.”
-from the foreword by Philip G. Zimbardo, creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment and author of The Lucifer Effect
“Intelligent disobedience is a core competency. This book provides an overlooked and essential element of ethical decision making and right action.”
-John A. Allison, retired Chairman and CEO, BB&T Corporation
“All of us have the responsibility to stand up for doing the right thing. Intelligent Disobedience offers the tools for doing this.”
-Beatrice Edwards, Executive Director, Government Accountability Project
“Intelligent Disobedience provides practical advice for the workplace and has profound implications for preparing students for democratic citizenship.”
-Robert Bravo, Area Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District
-from the foreword by Philip G. Zimbardo, creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment and author of The Lucifer Effect
“Intelligent disobedience is a core competency. This book provides an overlooked and essential element of ethical decision making and right action.”
-John A. Allison, retired Chairman and CEO, BB&T Corporation
“All of us have the responsibility to stand up for doing the right thing. Intelligent Disobedience offers the tools for doing this.”
-Beatrice Edwards, Executive Director, Government Accountability Project
“Intelligent Disobedience provides practical advice for the workplace and has profound implications for preparing students for democratic citizenship.”
-Robert Bravo, Area Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District
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