In 2020, Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum told the story of two men who, some 70 years before, had been confronted with startlingly similar circumstances and took dramatically different paths as a result. One man enthusiastically abandoned his principles, while the other could not bear to betray his ideals. Why?
To answer the question, Applebaum closely surveyed history, from Vichy France to East Germany, and examined the psychology of enablers and collaborators. “It takes time to persuade people to abandon their existing value systems,” she writes in her article. “The process usually begins slowly, with small changes.”
But, just as people can adapt to corruption or immorality, Applebaum argues, they can slowly learn to object as well.
To read her essential story on complicity—and dissidence—subscribe to The Atlantic for less than $2 a week.
