A question about the Stockholm Syndrome
It seems that whenever Americans or British or other Euro people are taken hostage or prisoner, they often have positive things to say about their captors' behavior when released. The press and more or less everyone else in positions of authority discount such positive statements and say, "Oh, it's only the Stockholm Syndrome."
This syndrome was named for an event in 1973 when bank robbers took over the Kreditbanken of Norrmalstorg, Stockholm and held people hostage there for six days. At the end of that time, many hostages refused to be rescued or to assist the police or testify against their captors. It's considered a normal human survival trait, a psychological adaptation to the continuing stress and danger. A universal thing.
So my question is this -- if Stockholm Syndrome is supposed to be universal -- no more than a normal human survival trait of identifying with the people abusing them:
HOW COME NONE OF THE PEOPLE OUR GUYS HOLD HOSTAGE OR PRISONER (at Gitmo or Abu Ghraib) EVER SEEM TO COME DOWN WITH A CASE OF IT?
HOW COME NONE OF OUR HOSTAGES/PRISONERS EVER REFUSE TO BE RELEASED OR RESCUED?
Link
This syndrome was named for an event in 1973 when bank robbers took over the Kreditbanken of Norrmalstorg, Stockholm and held people hostage there for six days. At the end of that time, many hostages refused to be rescued or to assist the police or testify against their captors. It's considered a normal human survival trait, a psychological adaptation to the continuing stress and danger. A universal thing.
So my question is this -- if Stockholm Syndrome is supposed to be universal -- no more than a normal human survival trait of identifying with the people abusing them:
HOW COME NONE OF THE PEOPLE OUR GUYS HOLD HOSTAGE OR PRISONER (at Gitmo or Abu Ghraib) EVER SEEM TO COME DOWN WITH A CASE OF IT?
HOW COME NONE OF OUR HOSTAGES/PRISONERS EVER REFUSE TO BE RELEASED OR RESCUED?
Link
posted by Saintperle at
3:57 PM
