# Nice people are creepy (and other interesting articles) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 6, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477 "2014-07-06T14:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/1 "2014-07-06T14:31:01Z")
> **[Psychologists Have Uncovered a Troubling Feature of People Who Seem Nice All...](https://www.mic.com/articles/92479/psychologists-have-uncovered-a-troubling-feature-of-people-who-seem-nice-all-the-time)** > > In 1961, curious about a person's willingness to obey an authority figure, social psychologist Stanley Milgram began trials on his now-famous experiment. In it, he tested how far a subject would go electrically shocking a stranger (actually an... > [@](#): > > A new Milgram-like experiment published this month in the Journal of Personality has taken this idea to the next step by trying to understand which kinds of people are more or less willing to obey these kinds of orders. What researchers discovered was surprising: Those who are described as “agreeable, conscientious personalities” are more likely to follow orders and deliver electric shocks that they believe can harm innocent people, while “more contrarian, less agreeable personalities” are more likely to refuse to hurt others. “Contrarian, less agreeable” people are often slammed for having poor social skills and being jerkfaces. So this finding is interesting…although it is not THAT surprising to me. I’ve always been a bit wary of people who will bend over backwards to please others and not ruffle feathers. People like this often come across as mindless automatons to me. Have you read any other interesting articles recently? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/2 "2014-07-06T14:39:56Z")
Would a contrarian agree or disagree with the article? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/3 "2014-07-06T14:50:42Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/4 "2014-07-06T15:06:48Z")
The only thing surprising about this is that the researchers were surprised. That “Those who are described as “agreeable, conscientious personalities” are more likely to follow orders and deliver electric shocks that they believe can harm innocent people, while “more contrarian, less agreeable personalities” are more likely to refuse to hurt others.” is so obvious that it’s practically a tautology. What research journal was this published in, Duh! quarterly? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/5 "2014-07-06T16:17:06Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > What research journal was this published in, Duh! quarterly? incorporating “no shit sherlock monthly” ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/6 "2014-07-06T19:54:17Z")
_“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”_ – George Bernard Shaw. Besides, I question the logic that equates “nice” with “obsequious, mindless sheep.” :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/7 "2014-07-06T21:48:10Z")
Women with a history of rebellious behavior were least likely to comply. Again, doesn’t surprise me. People who want to keep things going smooth and never cause problems never rock the boat. I don’t get how they managed to distinguish ‘nice’ from ‘unwilling to stand up for self/others’. They seem to be confusing nice with people pleasers, which isn’t the same thing. too bad the article is behind a paywall, it sounds interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/8 "2014-07-06T23:17:23Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > The only thing surprising about this is that the researchers were surprised. That “Those who are described as “agreeable, conscientious personalities” are more likely to follow orders and deliver electric shocks that they believe can harm innocent people, while “more contrarian, less agreeable personalities” are more likely to refuse to hurt others.” is so obvious that it’s practically a tautology. What research journal was this published in, Duh! quarterly? I agree. “I want you to deliver a shock to that person.” “No problem, glad to help out.” ZAP “I want you to deliver a shock to that person.” “Why the hell why I do that?” ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/9 "2014-07-07T05:28:50Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > incorporating “no shit sherlock monthly” Actually, I believe this is another fine piece of research from the guys at [MISPWOSO](http://h2g2.com/entry/A857874). ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-people-are-creepy-and-other-interesting-articles/692477/10 "2014-07-07T12:53:52Z")
“When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion.” CP Snow