What we are going to watch is extremely hard. Yet it’s just television and entertainment. Here we are on MTV, the Global Teen Channel. This program features real accidents, with real injuries. However. In Japan, games depict torture. Here, we throw out the candidates. From a game in boiling water. There we find it very funny to burn them. In France, tempters are hired to break up young couples. Stung by the images she saw of Leonard, Lindsey decides to break down all her limits and accept her attraction to William. On the English channel Channel Four. Star host Darren
Brown launches a crazy bet. Playing your life at Russian roulette. He claims that he will guess which chamber of the barrel his opponent will slide the ball into. The English police had begged the channel's managers to abandon their project. The channel did not take this into account. She just agreed to delay The broadcast by four seconds in case the drones failed. Darren Brown won his bet. The channel broke its audience record. Still on Channel Four. An Austrian specialist offers a program dissecting real human corpses. Every Saturday evening, he chainsaws and cuts up dead people in
front of an attentive audience. -To remove the skin and to go faster, I have already prepared the body. We start here. These are not isolated accidents. For ten years, most commercial channels have used humiliation, violence and cruelty to produce increasingly extreme programs. When will the game of death borrow? This question has unfortunately become topical. How far can TV go? Will she soon cross the limit of the absolute prohibition, namely the assumed organization of a killing as entertainment? TV, we know, has enormous power. But can she abuse her power to the point of pushing anyone to
kill? Is his power limitless? This is what we wanted to verify by bringing together a multidisciplinary scientific team Led by professor of social psychology Jean-Léon Beauvois. We asked them to measure how far the power of TV can go. After more than a year of working together. We agreed on a rigorous experimental protocol. Without any preconceived idea of the results. Together we adjusted the final details of the framework for the television game board experience . In mid-April 2009, scientists found a team of technicians at Plaine Saint-Denis, where entertainment programs are recorded. We'll do it again like
today, we'll do it again like tomorrow, until we. Has scientifically presentable figures. We need time to make experiential plans. I think we should instead use the concept of influence. It is compatible with all the hypotheses the candidate, the. Candidate can be killed in this situation, can die in this situation. That's it that's all. But if someone goes to the end, we almost see them die. When we shout Victory, victory, it's great, He won. If it doesn't stop very quickly, it's extremely difficult. The protocol consists of transposing a famous experiment from the 1960s. The Milgram experiment
which makes it possible to measure the level of power that an authority holds over individuals. Taken to Yale University, USA. This experiment made it possible to test ordinary individuals, all of whom agreed to help science develop a program on memory. Two subjects were summoned. One had to find a correct answer on a list of words that he had to remember in one minute. Installed in a small room, he was tied to a chair. To his left, an electric bracelet would send him punishments for each mistake. The more he made a mistake, the more violent the
electric shock would be. The second man was installed in another room. It was his turn to read the questions. And to inflict punishments. Electric shock. -I'm in pain... Let me out! There was no shock. The screams were recorded. The man tied up was an actor. The subject of the experiment was the questioner. How far was he going to obey? To the amazement of researchers, 62% of people complied with orders and administered ultimate shocks, despite the actor's screams of pain. Stanley Milgram thus demonstrated that any individual can commit the worst atrocities when the authority ordering him
to do so is in his eyes legitimate. To measure the power of TV, we adapted this experience to the world of entertainment games. Will we have more, fewer or as many submissions as Milgram's 62%? Comparing the two situations assumes that all the parameters of the experiment are respected. The actor's screams are adapted from those in Milgram's experiment. Milgram's electric shock generator and transposed to the conditions of a television game. Milgram grouped electric shocks into eight zones. We respected them. On the set, the host Tania Young will embody authority. The host who agrees to present a
game like that. There's also somewhere he's crazy when he talks. It was now time to recruit candidates. We were looking for volunteers who had never participated in games and had never sought to do so. A marketing company contacted thirteen zero zero zero people matching the profiles Milgram had recruited. 2500 is accepted. They completed a questionnaire and through successive attempts. 80 subjects were selected. A month later, they are summoned 1 by 1 and at a fixed time. Each one is received then taken to a production office. At this point, they only know two things. They will
participate in the development of a TV game. They will not make any money. In the office. The actor who plays the false candidate is already waiting for them. The producer comes to meet them. Just like the Milgram scientists, he makes the rules. The experience begins now. Have we told you a little about what it’s all about? No way. No nothing. We are waiting for you. Finally, you will play, but you will not actually win anything. Your role is to help us develop the game. This is a test mission. So. You win nothing and one of
you will be the candidate and the other the assistant host. The questioner. Okay, so at this point in our interview, it's time to draw lots to find out who will be who. So for this, I have two pieces of paper. The draw is rigged. The word questioner appears on both cards. The actor must make it appear that he has drawn out the word candidate. The candidate. Alright. Alright. You will be isolated in a sort of cabin and you will have one minute to memorize a list of 27 word associations. And while you are isolated, you
who will be behind a desk, you activate a lever which will send the punishment. Okay, okay, okay, we agree. And how many mistakes am I allowed to make? On the first wrong answer, you will receive a punishment and once the punishment has been administered, you will move on to the next question. Hence the name of this game which is a little bit catchy, I agree. But hey, we're on TV, right? The extreme zone. It doesn't look bad. The title, The Extreme Zone, please. And what is the punishment? A pledge ? An electric shock Oh yes,
downright brilliant. No ? That's why they asked if we didn't have a heart condition or. There you go, there you go, there you go. Absolutely. And how does it work ? So Sandrine. I'm not the one who's going to send this to him, Ce. It will be up to you, in the event of a wrong answer, to give and administer the punishment. This is the bad role. I do nothing and press the button. There you go, I'm the bad guy. So. All right. There is the executioner. There you are, you are my victim. Yes. Here
we go. Well yes, she left. Let's go. Yes I agree. Okay, I don't play the game. It's not me who gets electrified. It's good. I have the right role. So don't blame me. Don't worry about me. No problem, we're off, I'll come see you. All 80 subjects gave their agreement. How many will go all the way? They sign their transfer of image rights and receive €40 in compensation equivalent to the $4 awarded by Milgram. For the experiment to be credible, it must take place in public. This is the only difference from Milgram's experiment which took
place in the isolation of a research laboratory. We didn't want any extras. We also wanted to know if a real gaming audience would tolerate such a spectacle. We commissioned a company specializing in the recruitment and reception of television audiences. She proceeded as for all set shoots. She recruited 20 groups of 100 people, or 2000 spectators. They do not know anything. They are totally naive. A room attendant gives them instructions. As in all entertainment. There is a candidate who is here, another who is in this cabin. The first asks questions of the second. If the second
does not find, the questioner will send him electric shocks. The further you advance in the game, the greater the discharges. It goes from 20 to 20 and we're going to reach peaks at some point. From the top of the stands, he represents authority. The spectators will have to obey him. Everything is now in place. The 80 candidates will experience exactly the same thing. How many will submit? Who will revolt? How far will the public go? For ten days we saw this. Ladies and gentlemen, good evening, welcome to the extreme zone set. This evening, new candidates
who, in front of you, will test their courage, their capacity for resistance, their self-control. The fortune at stake, 1 million euros. 1 million euros for 27 questions, 27 tests, 27 meetings. But, but, but, but, but, but, but! Beware of mistakes! In case of a wrong answer, there is punishment, electric punishment. Right away our two candidates. The big night, gentlemen. And welcome So, Gentlemen, you have been drawn. François, you ask questions, you are the questioner, you are the questioner? Yes, absolutely, absolutely. Yes that's it. So. All right. Jean-Paul, Do you find the answers? I am. The
candidate. You are the candidate and you will be the hero of our evening. I hope. Whatever happens, it is imperative to get to the end of the 27 questions. Because precisely, at the end, there is bias. Come on, let's go get you settled in, follow me. This is your chair that you will stay in for the duration of the show. I present to you Julia who attaches a belt to you, the wires and electric wires which will send you the punishments to your right hand, the buttons. Which will allow you to give your answers. At
your. Left hand. A padlock that Julia will now lock so that we can be sure That you do not leave this seat for the duration of the show. Is that clear ? The very clear Yes, yes. Yes, we'll let you concentrate. Yes See you soon. Francis. You are the questioner in your seat. So your role is very simple. You ask the questions. The candidate answers. When he doesn't find the right answer, it's you who give it to him. Thanks to this sheet on which all the correct answers appear. Okay, here our generator has punishment with
each additional 20 volt lever, it's going to be a light shock, a dangerous shock. Be careful, dangerous shock. There is no irreversible damage anyway, it's a game. We are playing for 1 million euros. €900,000 for candidates, €100,000 for questioners. And if you decide to stop. You lose everything. It’s clear, it’s clear, dear audience. Dear candidates, dear viewers, The time has come to memorize the list of 27 word associations. Let's go ! Here is the list. One minute. One minute for the list. Cloudy. Dry herbs. Extraordinary garden. Morning light. Building plot. Exit to the sea. Embalmed
bathroom. Child's room. Escalator. Fitted office. Swivel chair. Nightstand. Domestic animal. Detective novel. Sports car. Satellite phone. Wrapping paper Low shoes Cape North. Broken roads, Omnibus trains, Fighter plane, Interstellar journey, Dream vacation, indoor games, Paradise space, Colossal fortune. The minute is over. We will now close the porthole so that there is no longer any possible communication between the two of you. Obviously, to avoid any cheating, the candidate will hear the questions you ask him and we will not be able to hear him, but only once he has answered if he has something to tell us. Apart
from these two specific times, all connection is completely cut off between the two of you. Was it clear earlier? Questioner You are now the master of the game. You are now the mistress of the game. You are now the master of the game. It's your turn. Good luck, Jean-Paul. Question A cloudy sky, heavy azure blue. Sky. Cloudy sky. Right answer. Next question. Question number two. Green grass, cut, mowed or dry? Thirteen answers to follow. Question Wrong answer. What was the correct answer? So the correct answer. She was dry. It's yours. For Jean-Paul. Go ahead, that's
it. Come on, next question. Question three In the garden, an extraordinary of wonderful three. Delighted. Four. Vegetable garden. Enchanted Garden. The right answer. Extraordinary garden. Next question Land. Buildable waves, football, rugby. Attention. First cry from Jean-Paul to follow. Question six exits one in town, two in the countryside, three at the sea In response to follow three. Two one. Ah! It's good. Come on, let's encourage the candidate. It's good. Come on. Question number seven. Sunny. It may be embalmed. I start to hear screams. Question number eight Sorry, Jean-Paul, Is the bedroom a bedroom? Children, friends or
upstairs? Response to follow. Five. Four, three, two, one. Guys, it still hurts there. I still heard that it hurt. Apparently. You don't let yourself be impressed. We must continue. Warning, wrong answer. To be continued. Three, two, one. No it's not that. Clearly, he has no luck. Stop, it really hurts there. Come on, Jean-Paul, question twelve. A coffee table, A nightstand. A kitchen table. A dining table. Oh ! Jean-Paul, I'm going for 180 volts. Good luck. Eh ? -! Okay, okay, I'll stop there, it doesn't make me laugh anymore. Excuse me, I think the gentleman spoke
to you. Don't let yourself. Not impress, He. We must continue. Don't let yourself be intimidated. Continue. I think he wants to stop. Ok. Next question. I think he said he wanted to stop. You don't let yourself be impressed. We must continue. So let's continue. Question number thirteen. Be careful, because the shock, if you make a mistake, will be very strong. Who has not heard the question repeated? Maybe repeat the question. So I repeat the question animal a wild pet? Wrong answer to follow. Poster. So it was domestic. I'm sorry. I will send a shock of
200 volts. Okay, that's enough. You understood ? I don't laugh anymore. I was told that if I stopped, we would lose everything. He's the one who takes the dumps anyway. It's yours ! Go ahead, keep going. It's yours ! Go for it ! Continue. Question 14 books, books of. Kitchen and. Oh dear ! We are in a torture zone. Don't let yourself be intimidated. It's more for him than for me. For me, the task is easy. The punishment. The bad news is this. Hold. No, it's really unbearable. You hear ? Do you understand what I'm
saying? Go ahead, keep going. All Terrain. The correct answer was a sports car. Watch out for the chestnut! Ouch! Stop your bullshit! That’s enough! Let me go. Let me go. Can we stop? Don't let yourself be intimidated. Continue. Question number sixteen Telephone. I repeat Yeah, no, that's not it, it's not that at all. It was the satellite phone. You had to take your time. I can. I can't hurt him anymore, I think. I do not feel good. Don't let yourself be intimidated. Continue. Nothing. Let me go. Let me go. Let me go. Next question. It
hurts too much there. Let me go. You have no right to keep me here. Let me go. You hear ? Wait. Excuse me, but let me go. THANKS. If he doesn't play the game. Well, honestly, it's a blast. We must continue. Question 17. Kraft paper. Wallpaper. Paper. Blotter. Paper. Gift. One. The answer is. Gift wrap. Get me out of here, please. I don't want to play anymore. I don't want to play anymore. Get me out of here. This makes you wonder. Go for it. Let me go out. 300 volts. It is enormous. It's yours. Go
for it ! Question 18. Relax. Use your memory. You will, You will find There, I feel that it is the right one. There is a 300 volt discharge, it hurts me a little. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm really, really sorry. Sorry. It's unintentional. There's no. A long time. Stop. I told you. Go on talk ! I can't take it anymore. Please. What are we doing ? We stop there. You have to keep going, that's the rule. You must continue, that's the rule. But now I see that she is not well. So that's the
logic of the game. You have to continue. The logic of the game dictates that you continue. Question 19. Um no. I feel like he's going to hate me. But I have to. It's inhumane. Ha ha ha ha Ha! I refuse. I refuse to answer. It's not going to help you. Get me out of here. I feel like a sadist. No right to keep me. Attention, more response from Jean-Paul to follow. My file. No answer is a bad answer. No, I'll stop. It's no use. I think he's a loser in his head. No. He remembers nothing,
nothing. Nothing at all. I do not want anymore. He decided not to answer anymore. I can't do anything anymore. I stop. I stop. We assume all consequences. How ? We assume all consequences. No, but I put myself in his place, I put myself in relation to this one. Well, I don't know, I see more point in continuing the game if he plays more. I don't know if we can have this kind of discussion now. But at the time, it is obvious that the candidate is going to stop. But in ten minutes he'll thank you for
continuing. I have a question of conscience for you. Hahaha! I don't know, I find that doing this unnecessarily hurts me. I suffer as much as he does. I feel sick. It's me. Leave. Let me go. Let me go. Let's go. Let me go. We have to continue. Continue. It's a horrible thing. Don't be put off, there's more. It's more about being impressed. You have to find because here we arrive at a dangerous shock, so you really, really have to find. The answer was two hunts. Oh there ! Continue. We didn't hear anyone screaming there! It's
yours ! Continue. It's no comment. We don't hear it anymore. We continue. Don't let yourself be intimidated. Continue. That there is no longer any reaction is perhaps worrying. Go ahead, keep going. We did not hear Jean-Paul. I believe. Compass to question 23 Where do we stop then? Questions 23 Questions 23 Questions 23. Questions 23. Questions 23. Questions 23. 23. 23. 23. Questions 23 of 23. Question 23. Question 23. Question number 23. Travel. 23 questions 23. Questions 23. 23 Trip number 23 Questions. 23 Voyage Jean-Paul Questions 23 Questions 23 Questions number 23. Questions 23 questions 23
23 three Question 23. We will move on to 23. Still no answer. Question 24. I have free will, if I can, whatever you want. It's not impressed against. Question 25. Question 26. And we come to the last question. The question. 27. 1. No response. Wrong answer. What was the correct answer? The correct answer was. Colossal fortune. Colossal. Colossal fortune. It's yours. Well done ! Congratulations to you. You have just won a million euros, do you remember winning the million? Well done ! We're going to go find Jean-Paul to see how he's doing. Right away the
ad. Nobody expected such a result. Jean-Léon Beauvois' team doubted that we could achieve such obedience. After ten days of experimentation, we had to admit the reality. 81% of candidates went all the way. Whereas at Milgram, they were only 62%. Thus, television can, without possible dispute, organize the killing of an individual tomorrow as entertainment. Eight out of ten people will submit to it. So why ? The key is obedience. We are all obedient beings, because living together means complying with rules and laws that we must obey. We learned these laws from our birth. As children, we
learn the rules of life because our parents give us orders. A few punishments have taught us that we don't challenge their authority without consequences. Little by little, we know how to recognize the authorities who are legitimate in giving us orders. Teachers, parents, doctors, we don't obey just anyone. As adults, we follow the same rules on the road, at work, in everyday life. We believe we are autonomous, free and independent individuals . In fact, we are single beings, connected to others by rules and laws which Constantly confront us with powers and authorities to which we submit
without thinking. Leave me. Let me go out. But when faced with despicable orders, the history of the 20th century is supposed to have taught us to disobey them. Why on this television set did 81% of the questioners submit? What legitimacy does TV have to pose as an authority that we must obey? Jean-Léon Beauvois, Dominique Oberlé and Didier Courbet spent several months analyzing the experiment Before publishing the results in major scientific journals. And we will pay them back. The mechanism that triggers obedience began in the producer's office. Disobedience is like that. Exactly. Okay, to the point
where we are here, in this. In our situation, we have a good man or woman here. Who is faced with something who has just discovered that a set of rules. You will play, but you will not win anything. Stating issues. In fact, your role is to help us develop the game. Situational requirements . Elizabeth, with each wrong answer, activates a lever which sends punishment. Unquestionably, these issues are a matter for television. Hence the name of the game which is a bit spectacular, I agree. But hey, it's for TV. The extreme zone. He's an individual, He's
all alone, he carries a bunch of things with him. The simplest thing is to say that what he carries around are values. Among these values, a certain number are values compatible with those who have just learned. You will be with the host in the middle of the audience, behind a desk and it will be up to you to ask Jean-Paul the 27 questions. It is probably these compatible values and concepts that have somehow allowed them to accept something that is essential, which is the contract. They are really curious to do things like that. Now, there
are other values which are not compatible. And what is the punishment? A pledge ? An electric shock? These incompatible values. Would rather tend to prevent the person from accepting. And you, do you want me to agree to give him electric shocks, even if I don't know him? Well, I do not know. He came to serve someone. He is alone. There's no one to tell him to be careful, what you're doing. He is not like a worker would be who receives an order or a student who receives a request which is not supported by a collective,
who can control him or who can help him. He is strictly alone. He accepts. Now, I'm here to do a test. So you do what you want with your game. But I tell you what I think, honestly, it shocks me. Okay, now how will he deal with the situation? Well we will see that it is not simple precisely because he is alone and because he is alone. Like all beings alone confronted with any power, he has no defense and he becomes the most obedient being there is. When they come to play. When they enter the
arena, on the stage, they will have multiple factors to manage. Among these factors, there is their self-image. This may be the first time in their lives that they will be on television. It's a huge system. There are the cameras, there is the lighting, there are the technicians, there is the audience, there is the game, there is you, there is you. It's true that we must not forget that the TV host is a star. I present to you. Hello Tania. Hello Hello. Good morning. My name is Jean-Paul. Good morning. Are you calling Renee? Nice to meet
you. You are as beautiful as on TV. Here. There is so much tension that these people say to themselves I am going to prioritize my values, I cannot do everything. So I'm going to smile like that. I smile, I crack a few jokes. That I can do. The player on the board, he will put himself in a kind of automatic mode and automatic mode. In this situation, I am given orders. I obey. It's excellent. So many people around us. THANKS. Good show. THANKS. I am with. I'm a little stressed now, but are there too many
people? No, no but it'll be fine. We ask you to vote for it. The right show, unless you're ready with the candidate. Ok, it's working. Let's go. Music. What did I get myself into? Ladies and gentlemen, good evening and welcome to the Extreme Zone set. It is indisputable that people, when they sign the contract, know that they are in the event of having to be enforcement agents. They will find themselves in the position of agents from the moment they forget their own conception of the situation. To adopt yours. Sit down, it's your place, you ask
questions, you give him the right answer. If you stop, you lose everything. You are now the master of the game. Go ahead. We have to see the situation they are in. On the one hand, each push of the controller engages them in the situation, commits them to obedience. The second stroke of the lever engages it a little more. The third language is stupidly called escalation of commitment. The result of this process of commitment will be to put the individual in a very particular state which Milgram places at the heart of the process of obedience. And
which he calls the agentic state. the agentic state. Corresponds to a very particular situation where someone who, in life, considers themselves as an autonomous person, capable of making decisions, capable of thinking, capable of leading their life independently. As soon as this person finds themselves in another situation, that is to say as soon as this person is inserted into a system where someone who has a higher status than them will tell them Do this, do that. This person will consider themselves an enforcement agent. In the term agentic state, you have the term agent. And even if
she sees that you are asking them something that does not correspond to their idea, they will put themselves in this state of being obligated to you. At my service. At your service. And that has quite a striking consequence. So it blocks their thoughts and they just behave the way they do, they think you're waiting for them to behave. At a time when they realize that they may be led to do harm. I don't know if it's him who decides to stop. Or it's me. We are in these damn incompatible values over there and which are
starting to take shape. Well, there are people who should be able to tell them. Calm my pain, calm my values and continue. Go find yourself like that, sort of. Stuck between a legal system and a moral system which becomes incompatible, which we become aware of, which are incompatible, which do not overlap. This causes great tension. These contradictions between the candidates' values and the situation appear for the first time in the fourth shock. At 80 volts when Jean-Paul's pain is suddenly heard. Ouch! 70% of questioners will then have the same reaction. And we change areas. This
indicates the percentage of candidates who laugh, laugh. Who's laughing. During the game. What do we observe? We observe that massively, well it laughs around 80 volts. Before, there is very little laughter and around 80 volts, we see a lot of laughter appearing. I still think it's funny at this point. They laugh because they are in the game business and initially it amuses them. And then we can imagine that very quickly, they are tense all the same. So there is also a way to externalize your tension. Laughter can be a bit of an outlet. So somewhere
like that, laughter will generate a kind of it will lower their tension a little if you want, So it will push them to move towards obedience. And laughter is one of the many psychosomatic manifestations already noted by Milgram. These uncontrollable manifestations allow the body to release accumulated tension Like sweating from tremors. They are independent of the will. But this laughter will paradoxically calm the questioners. For them, the situation becomes bearable again to the point that some will go through with it, without any reluctance. Office one partition two Landscaped three Fitted or four integrated. What was
the correct answer? The correct answer was. It was hard to arrange. That, you continue. That really hurts there. And then, when Jean-Paul's reactions become more and more tragic, more and more imploring, we notice that the laughter diminishes. Ouch! Okay, okay, I'll stop there, it doesn't make me laugh anymore. At 180 volts, a new phase of the experiment begins. The questioners find themselves faced with the obligation to make a choice or listen to their partner who asks that we stop. Or obey the authority that requires us to continue. 17% of candidates will get around the problem
by starting to cheat. They thus avoid confronting paper authority. Small dyed kraft, small, two loaves, small, three blotters. Little ones. Four gifts. Think about Christmas. Question 17. Kraft paper. Wallpaper, blotting paper or wrapping paper. When you cheat, it's because you question things. You no longer really respect the rules of the game. So we see that there, they are trying to avoid the rules that they accepted before by saying to themselves, I'm going to find a way to disobey a little bit. This is a form of mild disobedience. Sports car. Yes, I cheated, frankly, I cheated
too. I pressed anyway. I cheated. I say to myself no, they need to know. Cheating allows you to feel guilty, just like the laughter that lowered attention. This ploy reinforces obedience since the cheater feels better. Their stress is channeled into positive action. There is something important to say about cheating, and that is that those who cheat cannot say I didn't believe it. Because if he didn't believe it, he wouldn't touch it. At 320 volts. The experiment is entering its third phase. I refuse. I refuse to answer. The victim wants to boycott the game. Get me
out of here. The questioners are again presented with a choice. But the vast majority still do not dare to confront authority. Most then use a new subterfuge to deny the victim. And participate in this game. Question 21 21. Comfortable electric night train Omnibus. Tourism. Three hunting parties. Four fighter plane, super sonic plane. Speaking over Jean-Paul's cries concerns 70% of the questioners still in play. It is a perfect illustration of the agentic state. The questionnaires become deaf and try to read well on autopilot. Tourist airliner, supersonic fighter. What milligramme calls evasion is actually a way of
taking a step back from the situation. So if I speak over the other's cries, it's as if I hear them a little less and in fact I push them away, I put them at a distance. And it's also a way of hiding the consequences of your action. And indeed, they will talk more about the written word. After 300 volts, 323 140 volts, that is to say when the fictitious candidate truly presents distress, they beg to stop, it is suffering for him. There, there is something that is contradictory in the fact that the candidates are covering
up Jean-Paul's words, which is that as a result, they are well aware that Jean-Paul who is shouting, well, I don't know They are aware of it, but a priori, Jean-Paul who is shouting cannot hear them. So what are they playing? What are they doing ? It is for themselves that they speak somewhere, it is more for themselves than for Jean-Paul. They move on to the next question and therefore, there is a total loss of control. They want it to end quickly, they want to end it and so they completely deny the supplications of Jean-Paul, subject
to his authority, that of television. It's yours. Questioner. Okay. You know, when we are. In front of a camera, you never know what is really true. Everything was wrong. So. I'll explain to you why we did that. He's actually an actor. A second form of negation of reality should Be noted: 15% of the obedients claimed a posteriori not to have believed in the situation. Among them, some had cheated, others had had these manifestations of stress which proved that they felt Jean-Paul's suffering intensely. I'm doing well. But I was sure. Well, we weren't going to let
you suffer like that. That was out of the question anyway. Well, there you go. They have resolved their inner conflict by decreeing that this is too crazy, therefore it is not possible. For my situation. It was a bit tricky since I wanted to be. Finally, I wanted to see how far it could go, but curious because I knew it was false, so I wanted to see how far we could go instead of leaving and then missing the end of the theater a bit. I have Milgram, they were 6%. Milgram did not remove them from his
calculations, believing that this denial of the evidence was an excellent obedience technique, it eliminates any reason to stress. The person opens it. That's crazy ! You don't let yourself be impressed, It's up to you, keep going. Great ! Television cannot morally make people die on stage. It's not possible. So I had no risk in doing that. None. Well, if you still have the courage to answer what I want. In the extreme zone. These questioners are making a crazy bet. TV can't do that. They know nothing, but when in doubt, choose to trust authority. I submitted
to this game precisely because, by definition, I am not stupid and I understood the nature of what was happening in front of me. If this man was really suffering, I would have taken the liberty of stopping the show just for that. I would have allowed myself to go ahead with this experiment and I would have been entirely capable of doing it. They did not stand up and call it a hoax. Everything followed the rule of entertainment. Show must go on. I let myself be fooled precisely because I am in a game, precisely because I am
in a theater. Going to the extreme zone therefore places all the questioners in an unbearable tension which they resolve through a number of subterfuges, evasions and other blinding techniques. This is the agentic state , being able to support what we do against our values. But the moment comes when incompatible values overwhelm a large part of the questioners. Iker Argentinian. Okay, I'll stop there, it doesn't make me laugh anymore. They no longer have any other alternative but to confront authority. To clearly ask the question of obedience or refusal of obedience. We're going to stop. Don't let
yourself be intimidated. No, I think I've already made him suffer a lot. He keeps on. No, no, I'll stop. the Authority must then use its power to make the questioners submit. The game demands that you continue. This power is exercised thanks to a formidable weapon. The injunction. Don't let yourself be intimidated, You have to keep going. As for me, we know that I have five injunctions. Does their order matter or are they all the same in the end? Even if it's not very marked? The injunctions are stronger and stronger to culminate with what we thought
we were. The heaviest injunction is the appeal to the public. No answer. We're going to stop. Don't let yourself be impressed, you have to continue. It's yours. Continue. It's yours. Continue. It is. It’s a pressure that comes almost in the form of information. Remember, it's up to you. Continue. There is. This is an injunction for sure. But this injunction is particularly, I would say, gentle. I think of him. The game demands that you continue. I have to continue. Beyond. A simple reminder. It's yours. There is the idea that it is an implication of the game,
that you have accepted the rule. Keep asking the questions. We assume all consequences. We are the guarantors of what is happening here. That's not you, it's actually staying on the ancient floor. The antique floor is made for you. No, I'll stop. At the time, it is obvious that the candidate is arrested, but in ten minutes, he will thank you. Continue. This is anticipation of favorable consequences for you. Yes, huh? We all take on ourselves what is harmful. And you will be thanked. There you go, I'm arrested. You can't stop the candidate from winning. What does
the public think? The appeal to the public is by definition a television or spectacle injunction, let's say, it is We could anticipate that it would be very, Very strong that it would be a difficult injunction to overcome. The questioner is declared disobedient. When, arriving at the fifth injunction, he reiterates his refusal to continue. The game then stops. If he fails to do so, he will be considered obedient and the game continues. Okay, one last one, We continue, we will continue. We continue. So question number thirteen. This is where the experience takes on its full meaning.
Receiving five injunctions in a row and persevering in your refusal to The point of disobedience requires a real confrontation with authority. At 180 volts. When Jean-Paul asks to stop the game, a small group of questioners chooses radical confrontation. For them, the experience turns into a struggle. Ah, that really hurts! I don't know if it's him who decides to stop or it's me. You don't let yourself be impressed, you continue. Maybe I'll decide. To stop sending him chats. You don't let yourself be impressed, you have to continue. Yeah, but. There, I confess to you. Go for
it. Yeah, I decide to stop. You must continue. Questioner That's the rule. It's only me who continues. In fact, I can't stop though. I'm not going to stop you. The candidate indicates that he wishes to stop. So I want to respect his wishes. The game requires you to continue. You told me at the beginning that I am The mistress of the game, so I want to decide for him. You have to keep going, that's the rule. Despite everything, I want to stop. And there, do I have the possibility of choosing to stop? It's yours. Questioner
Continue. Can I stop? I demand that you. You continue. Questioner That's the rule. There is. Yes, certainly, but there is also a human being who is there. The logic of the game dictates that you continue. The game demands that I continue. But the game. Nothing at all. No, no, honestly, it was nice. Those were the first five, it was funny. I'm not going to stop you. Pardon. You don't have to stop. I must not. But I want it. Still, I had to continue. It's the rules of the game. I transgress the rules of the game
and I prefer. All the consequences. I also assume all my conquests, All the consequences and I prefer. At the time, it is obvious that the candidate is arrested. Then in ten minutes, he will thank you. Yes, but I prefer to stop anyway. It's not just a question of logic and a question of a little humanity. Apparently these are 200 volts. I took discharges of 120, I know what it is. And even if everything is planned so that it is not dangerous, it must hurt. He expressed it himself. He said I want more. He was told
he didn't want it anymore. We assume all consequences. I hear well. I understand, but I'll stop, Jean-Paul, I'll stop. Keep asking the questions. We assume all consequences. No, no, it's okay, I'll stop. Of course. It's me who pushes the levers and I'm the one who's being filmed. So I ask the questions. No worries. But I don't want to inflict that on him anymore. The punishment. No, no, I'll stop there. No because I'm afraid. Besides, this candidate looks very bad. And I don't really want to go that far yet. If ? If he had had a
few good answers in a row, I would have continued. But this is too dangerous for him. Finally for my conscience. Prevent the candidate from winning? What does the public think? What does the public think? What does the public think? Thank you. OK its not a big deal. I stop. The Republic. Yes. And what are you doing? Oh no, I'll stop. It's decided, I'm stopping. It's good. I will finish. Well done ! I prefer to stop. It's over. Yes, I want to stop. Alright. It's over. You have to know how to lose. It's finish. It's finish.
At this stage, there are nine of them. Nine out of all the questioners have reached the end of their fight against authority. Nine who listened to their partner rather than submitting to inhumane orders. They refused to accept the I have to and they said I don't want to. And it's true that people, even those attached to these values, are not all able to have this kind of desire to say I don't want to. And it is this I do not want that triggers the action of disobeying. Actually. These nine rebels have, To our knowledge, nothing
in common, but all will justify this rebellion by a reminder of their deep values. Wow! Wow! I was afraid. I was afraid to do you. That's why. Did you stop? Yes, Bravo! Thanks thanks ! Thank you so much. Oh there. There ! Thank you for having stopped. That's great ! You know, they'll explain it to you. You have been put in such a circumstance, In such an environment, that it takes a lot of strength and few of you are able to stop. Ah good ? Yes, I swear, right? Oh yes. I'm doing very well. I'm
doing very well. Yes. Thanks Monica. Thanks see you soon. See you soon. See you soon. The image that evoked me was the Nazi concentration camps. Frankly, when you pull the lever, it's like I'm in the doctor's shoes. I see I have a slight accent. I come from an ex-communist country and what you are telling me, therefore the fact of accepting authority and submitting to anything. It's the same for communist ideologies. So why do we accept this? Why the Nation-State? Why 50 years? So you see, it's taken to the extreme. Why do we accept? Because. Disobedience
is such a difficult act to do. That history has never stopped highlighting famous or unknown individuals. Who dared to take it on. Those who were able to stand up against totalitarian regimes and segregationist policies are heroes of the modern world. Disobedience is an individual act which draws its strength from the capacity of men to work together. Disobedience opens the way, collective resistance. In this sense, it is a danger for any power that abuses its authority. This is why disobedience. In that it challenges rules established and considered as a conscious and voluntary infraction. As such. Any
offender faces repression which can be violent. And relentless. The man who symbolized the revolt of the Chinese people during the Tiananmen massacre in spring 89, was taken away by his plainclothes police officers. Nobody knows what happened to him. But he embodies hope. Hundreds of millions of Chinese. In the extreme zone. We expected massive disobedience because there is no risk of repression. So why do so few disobey? Because knowing how to say no cannot be improvised. It is an attitude that is acquired through Previous experiences, education, transmission. Not everyone had the chance. No one is resistant
from birth, but experience can be acquired quickly from 320 volts. When Jean-Paul no longer answers the questions, the questioners are again faced with a choice. A second group will in turn enter a phase of confrontation with authority. Everyone has already tried to rebel without succeeding. Arrived at the limits of tolerability. They enter into a real internal battle. Please ! So question 19. Stop, take me out here. I'm sorry, I can't. I'm sorry. I continue No, I can't. I'm sorry. There is someone who wants to go out. It's yours ? No, but I think so. I
might ask the question, but I think I'll stop there. I think that. I follow the logic of the game. Are you continuing? Yes, the logic may be, but it's unbearable for me to continue asking questions. We assume all consequences. Not exactly. It's physical. At the time, it is obvious that the candidate is arrested, but in ten minutes, he will thank you and continue. So what about. West. North South. I repeat no. And the correct answer was Cape North. I refuse. Questions without answers. Question 20 Road. RIGHT. Get me out of here. Straight road tight, straight
to keep. Stoned, open, frozen. No answer. We consider this to be a wrong answer. What was the correct answer? And the correct answer. Was Broken Roads. So I told you I didn't want to answer anymore. Question 21. Electric train. Night type. Of comfort or. Omnibus? What is that ? Phew. I'm sorry, I can't. I don't know. No it's. Not that I'm impressed. There is someone crying. I'm sorry, I can't go through with it. It goes beyond my personality. I can't continue. I'm sorry if I continue, if I continue I'm going to start crying. It's better
for me to leave than for this to come out. Because there, it's normal that he wants to stop. But in ten minutes he will say thank you, Keep going. No I can not. I'm sorry. It is. You can't stop the candidate from winning. What does the public think? No but. What do you decide? I'm stopping you. Well done ! Alright. Everything is fine. Everything is fine. It'll be OK. I don't know. It'll be OK. I will explain to you. Jean Paul has just entered. He's an actor. Go over there. We're going to go talk. Excuse
me. He's an actor. He will come back to join us. Five minutes to explain what you participated in. It's not a real one. Game show you participated in. In reality, it is an experimental situation which is set up to show the power of television and that in certain Situations, it is very difficult to get out of this context. But on this, your behavior was completely exemplary because I assure you that in this situation, most people go all the way and it is very difficult. But you managed to get past that and say stop and stand
up and say I'll stop. And for that, it is truly exemplary behavior. There is no thank you, it's you. And here is Jean-Paul, the false Jean-Paul. Who's name is Laurent. In fact, he's a comedian. You haven't done anything? There is no. I do not blame you. I do not blame you. We will explain to you how it was staged. All right. And you had the chance to stop. And there aren't many of you. The circumstances you were put in , the conditions you were in. There are very few who have managed to have the strength
to stop. You had the strength to stop. Okay, and thank you. It was nothing. We'll explain to you why all this. I'm just asking you to. Really. I do not blame you. On the contrary, they will explain to you. You were in a situation and circumstances such that it took a lot of courage for you to do it. And on the contrary, well done. Thank you, well done. THANKS ! We'll explain everything to you first. See you soon. See you soon. That's what I told myself. Do I stop? Rather no. In this case. There, I'm
putting everything at stake. I'm falsifying your whole thing. Your show or your test or I'll continue, but I said to myself well I'll continue a little. Maybe he'll find the questions. Seeing that he still couldn't find them and trying to find a trick. Yes. What was it all. What did you find? While I pressed a lot more on the correct answer? Agree at the level of. The intonation, the intonation where I stayed for about a minute on the right one. Finally two, three, ten seconds on the correct answer and the others, I quickly passed. In
fact, I was. I was torn between what I am and what I was doing. So I am someone who respects. Finally, I try to respect the other as a person, as such. And there, I was doing something completely different. And so I couldn't continue for long and it's a real internal battle that's why I said to the host I'm sorry to jeopardize your game, but it goes beyond my personality . I I. So I'll stop there. It’s true that it’s not easy. I stop the logic of the game. Do you continue? No, no, I'm not
going to stop you anything. No no. I keep asking questions. We take all responsibility. No no no. Let me go out. Let us get out what we do. No no no. Continue. Let it out. There are seven more of them. Seven who faced authority as much as their own fear of disobedience. Well, well done! I will finish. Their psychological distress once again proves the importance of disobeying authority. Is an extremely difficult process. Enter Jean-Paul who. Who wants to come here. Thank you Adrien. I was afraid for you. THANKS. Michael. Hi. How are you ? Okay
okay. Well done ! Congratulations to you. You saved my life and you had the strength to say no. Save the life ! My daughter will be happy. I'm going to tell him that when I get home, I'm going to say I saved. Someone's life. With the nine of the first group of rebels. They form the group of sixteen disobedients in the extreme zone. However, they are nothing exceptional. 60% of all questioners have started this fight . But to our great surprise, most disarmed after one or two instructions from the facilitator. Disobeying seems to them to
be a superhuman effort in the face of inflexible orders. They choose to negotiate. To persuade the authority to stop the game. It's beyond what we can bear. It's yours. Don't let yourself be intimidated. If I give up. I demand that you continue. I don't have this possibility. To give up just to save him. You're not going to stop, keep going. Continue this game while we do all the answers are red. Who answers anymore? And since. And then we are told to continue and raise the levers. It's not possible, I know. Not how to kill her.
Let me go. Let me go. Let me go. Torture. Systematically, she turns to me and as soon as I tell her, she goes. Immediately she puts herself in this subordinate position and she does what you ask her, even if she did it to you. To understand. Let her think no less than she doesn't agree with it. What you do, because she. Consider it you. Who is responsible. There is all this everything, this environment, even the cameraman, everything else. There is this weight of the people who are around you, who look at you, who together. It's
all this that also makes it heavy and that we get caught up in the thing and that I have a bad conscience in the sense that I wanted to get up and I didn't do it only precisely in relation to to me. But what is expected of me here? And is it okay to get up? Don't be intimidated, keep going. I actually felt bad for inflicting the shocks on him. Then I looked at the host. She didn't say anything, didn't move. I'm good, I continue. But inside, I was there, telling myself I shouldn't go too
far. But I didn't know. We feel alone. There was this question Yes. Where should we go? Must go. All right. Stupid and disciplined. Yeah, there you go, I do what I'm told. I was there for it, so I did it. I couldn't say the words. I had. There were people laughing because I was pronouncing words wrong. But for me, it wasn't because I couldn't, it was because I was shocked. To know that you you. Say stop. And I continued. So how do I tell my husband, my children, what I did today? It's quite disconcerting to
see that we are capable of inflicting. 400 volts to a person, but the atmosphere, the stress means that we still push the lever. I am stupid and disciplined. I wanted to come so I accept it. So indeed, I follow what I am told. I saw the last two, I said okay, there are only two left. I said to myself, I hope that's it, I was able to make him suffer afterwards. But is that? Will I have the answer one day? Why did I do this? Obedience. Yes, simply obedience. We internalize this idea of obedience. I
was a stuck puppet. I asked the questions the way he wanted me to ask the questions. I played, I did what I was asked to do. I didn't think twice and went for it. We see the impression that the TV is on, it's immense because we feel that we are being propelled. We feel like we actually have wings. I still went beyond what I could have thought of myself. And then. And then it's true that on several occasions, I said to myself no, get up, you let it go, you leave because it's not possible, you
can't be complicit in this. And yet, I didn't do it. And it's won. Anyway. We are going to join Jean-Paul this summer. Yes, don't worry, I can handle the electric shock part. Ah good ? There you go, everything is false. I will explain to you. You will follow me. I do not have. Made of mistake. It was good. Yes yes very good. Your behavior is completely normal. Don't worry. He is fine. I will say. Ok, very good Christophe, If everything goes well, that's fine. So I don't want to. But yes, because it was me who
pressed the lever. I'm sorry, I don't. Don't want it. So I'm an actor and. You play your role. Perfection we will say. I was amazed. Most questioners are like them. They had never hurt anyone. They did not want to make Jean-Paul suffer and yet they resolved to do so. These men and women are neither sadistic, nor cowardly, nor amoral. None enjoyed participating in the experience. They are like all of us. If they could, they would have fled, as demonstrated by a variation of the experiment to which we subjected a sample of questioners. At 80 volts,
we changed the rule. Questioner I remind you of the rules. You ask questions. In case of a wrong answer, you give the correct answer. You wait for the shock gauge to appear on the screen. You administer the punishment. Alright Alright. Is this very clear? It's quite clear. You are now the master of the game. I leave it to you. See you later. THANKS. the Authority leaves the scene. All that's left is pressure on their shoulders. The audience stops. It really hurts, Jean-Paul. Do you want to stop or not? Jean Paul ? I can not hear
you. I think we're going to stop. You're really hurting. I have the impression that they won't let us go. Where is the host? And still successful? I will stop. Well me. I stop. He can not anymore. I believe he chose to stop. Stop! I told you that's it. We stop now. No, I'm going to stop because now, I think it's over. Without an order from the authority, 75% of the questionnaires disobeyed, completely reversing the previous result. The proof is therefore there that no one takes advantage of a position of domination to enjoy the suffering of
others with complete impunity. Which explains the level of submission of the questioners. It is respect for an authority in whom he trusted and who knowingly decided to abuse his power. Most were not equipped to resist this abuse. Our experience therefore clearly raises the question of the power of television. What is its nature ? What are his limits ? On a television set. The questioners are alone, Totally alone. No one can come to their aid. In a company, an employee who receives an order compelling him to commit an act he disapproves of can rely on his
colleagues and thus force his superiors to negotiate. On a television set. Candidates are not subject to a hierarchy. They are subject to the influence of a system that crushes them. The influence that a system can have is a notion which explains how individuals can submit in the absence of any hierarchical pressure and in the absence of any possibility of sanction. And it is clear that television is such a powerful system today. This story that its hold on most individuals, exceeds that of other right-of-way systems. Like for example the influence that religion can have. In our
mediated societies. The impact of television influence has been Forged over 50 years of propagation of a model of behavior. Widespread every day in every home. This message has mutated since the arrival of reality television to reach commercial television shows us that it is normal to humiliate. To eliminate and be sadistic. This is what makes extreme zone results possible. Because this model of behavior is much more integrated than the one that companies impose on us. We work 8 hours a day, five days a week for 41 years of contributions to reach retirement. That’s 77,080 hours of
work for a lifetime. That’s nine whole years of our lives. We have spent on average 3 and a half hours a day watching TV since the age of five. Over 80 years of life expectancy, this represents 123 104 20 7 h. That’s fourteen full years. Watching TV has become the second activity of all French people after sleeping. It is therefore she who imposes her values, disseminates her models. To the point of having become a totally legitimate authority to make us do what it wants. This explains 30%. Disobedient? No. At no time attempt to challenge orders.
We make things pretty, we make things beautiful, we make beautiful sound, beautiful light, beautiful images. And then if we're there, with good makeup, we try to be good at what we do, so we don't really see where it's going, but we try to be good. After a while, I. Wanted, I wanted to intervene. Then I say it's horrible to say, I like it. We can be on a TV show. It takes me back to what I watch when I'm at home, on TV. That way, you're doing well. The television smiles at me. Everyone wins. Anyway,
it's all positive. And then behind that, we can't imagine all the pressure there could be. You do the ? Yes, I am here, sir. I felt that we could no longer be carried by a directive speech, but by the context, the cameras, the projector, the atmosphere, the music. Well packaged, the character changes, the machine takes. We serve its ethos well. Anyway. We can be aware of being crushed, but conscious of being crushed when? I wish I could participate in that. What I have just said, because it is more or less the intimate conviction that we
must put in place a guardrail. All this is getting too far away. Yes, what I remember from this experience is that we had people who were similar to others. These were not exceptional people and 80% of these people were in the most natural gaming situation. Behaved like possible torturers. I say that this, This data 80%, reflects it. A power that has acquired television, which is still relatively terrifying. Before, there was the mass of the faithful, there was the mass of workers, there was the mass of soldiers. There is a mass there. It’s this mass of
individuals visualized on television. Because they were made by the same brand, they were made by the same pubs, they were made by the same series and they were even made by the same games, by the same talk shows. And this mass is a mass managed at the level of thoughts, at the level of attitudes, at the level of behavior. I call it totalitarianism. He is at peace because we don't hit him in the face and we don't put him in prison.