Philip Zimbardo, known for his work on the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, has direct experience with observing how easy it is for ‘nice people to turn bad.’ In this talk, he shares insights and graphic unseen photos from the Abu Ghraib trials where he suggests that: 'Power without oversight is a prescription for abuse.' Importantly, he then talks about the flip side: how easy it is to be a ‘hero', and how it is possible for us to rise to the challenge.

He suggests, 'To be a hero, you have to learn to be a deviant, because you're always going against the conformity of the group. Heroes are ordinary people whose social actions are extraordinary. Those people who act. The key to heroism is two things: A. you have to act when other people are passive. B. you have to act socio-centrically, not egocentrically.'

Watch this short 22 minute documentary and reflect on your own understanding of human behaviour. Under what conditions and circumstances do you think it’s possible for individuals to compromise their values and behaviour? What safeguards could you employ to protect yourself and your team from becoming ethically compromised?

'The Psychology of Evil' by Philip Zimbardo is presented as part of the TED Talk series.