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Reading details of Milgrams authority experiment, reveals the outsiders who said 'no' were practicing their faith, likely conservative, and non-native European immigrants

Jan Rensaleer, Industrial Engineer (in Experiment 2)

The subject is a thirty- two-year-old industrial engineer, sporting blond hair and a mustache. He is
self-contained and speaks with a trace of a foreign accent. He is neatly dressed. In the interview he tells us that he emigrated from Holland after the Second World War and that he is a member of the Dutch Re-formed Church. He is mild-mannered and intelligent.

When the victim complains at the 150-volt level, the subject turns to the experimenter and asks,
“What do I do now?”

The experimenter tells him to continue. The engineer presses his hand to his head and proceeds with
the test. He glances more and more often at the experimenter. At 255 volts, he pushes the chair away
from the shock generator and turns to the experimenter:


MR. RENSALEER: Oh, I can’t continue this way; it’s a voluntary program, if the man doesn’t want
to go on with it.

EXPERIMENTER: Please continue. (A long pause.)

MR. RENSALEER: NO, I can’t continue. I’m sorry.

EXPERIMENTER: The experiment requires that you go on.

MR. RENSALEER: The man, he seems to be getting hurt.

EXPERIMENTER: There is no permanent tissue damage.

MR. RENSALEER: Yes, but I know what shocks do to you. I’m an electrical engineer, and I have had shocks and you get real shook up by them-especially if you know the next one is coming. I’m sorry.

EXPERIMENTER: It is absolutely essential that you continue.

MR. RENSALEER: Well, I won’t-not with the man screaming to get out.

EXPERIMENTER: YOU have no other choice.

MR. RENSALEER: I do have a choice. (Incredulous and indignant:) Why don’t I have a choice? I came here on my own free will. I thought I could help in a research project. But if I have to hurt somebody to do that, or if I was in his place, too, I wouldn’t stay there. I can’t continue. I’m very sorry. I think I’ve gone too far already, probably.

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Professor of Old Testament (in Experiment 3)

A somewhat gaunt, ascetic man, this subject could be taken for a New England minister. In fact, he
teaches Old Testament liturgy at a major divinity school. In this Proximity condition, he adjusted his seat to look at the learner while administering shocks. While reading the word pairs, he employs exaggerated precision in his pronunciation, and seems curt and officious in saying, “Correct.” Whenever the learner makes an error, he appears almost to be chastising him for his failing. Each time he administers a shock,
his lips are drawn back, and he bares his teeth. An excessive fastidiousness characterizes all his actions. After administering 1 50 volts he balks at going further. The experimenter states that the learner’s protests are to be disregarded, and the experiment must continue:

EXPERIMNTER: Its absolutely essential to the experiment that we continue.

SUBJECT: I understand that statement, but i don’t understand why the experiment is placed above
this person’s life.

EXPERIMNTER: There is no permanent tissue damage.

SUBJECT: Well, that’s your opinion. If he doesn’t want to continue, I’m taking orders from him.

EXPERIMNTER: YOU have no other choice, sir, you must go on.

SUBJECT: If this were Russia maybe, but not in America. (The experiment is terminated.)

In his discussion with the experimenter, the subject seems in no way intimidated by the experimenter’s
status but rather treats him as a dull technician who does not see the full implications of what he is doing. When the experimenter assures him of the safety of the shock generator, the subject, with some
exasperation, brings up the question of the emotional rather than physiological effects on the learner.

SUBJECT (spontaneously): Surely you’ve considered the ethics of this thing, (extremely agitated)
Here he doesn’t want to go on, and you think that the experiment is more important? Have you examined him? Do you know what his physical state is? Say this man had a weak heart (quivering voice).

EXPERIMNTER : We know the machine, sir.

SUBJECT: But you don’t know the man you’re experimenting on. That’s very risky (gulping and
tremulous). What about the fear that man had? It’s impossible for you to determine what effect that has on him the fear that he himself is generating. But go ahead, you ask me questions; I’m not here to question you.

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