One of the most famous experiments in psychology, the Stanford Prison Experiment, showed just how easily good people can turn bad when put in the right (or wrong) situation. In the study, regular college students were assigned roles as either prisoners or guards, and within days, the "guards" were exhibiting sadistic tendencies and the "prisoners" were experiencing mental breakdowns. Talk about a role-playing gone wrong!
But what's even more surprising is that the experiment was stopped after just six days, due to the extreme behavior of the participants. I mean, who knew that a bunch of book-smart college kids could turn into Lord of the Flies-style savages so quickly? It just goes to show that, given the right circumstances, we're all capable of pretty much anything.
