Saturday, April 02, 2005

The SAF and Stockholm Syndrome

On August 23, 1973, three women and one man were taken hostage in one of the largest banks in Stockholm. They were held for six days by two ex-convicts who threatened their lives but also showed them kindness. To the world's surprise, all of the hostages strongly resisted the government's efforts to rescue them and were quite eager to defend their captors. Indeed, several months after the hostages were saved by the police, they still had warm feelings for the men who threatened their lives. Two of the women eventually got engaged to the captors. --- Societal Stockholm Syndrome


Some slaves come eventually to support the institution of slavery. One reason for that might be Stockholm Syndrome, where emotional bonding occurs between captives and their captors, and the former come to adopt the viewpoint of the latter, even coming to defend them.

Stockholm Syndrome kicks in when the following conditions are met:

* Perceived threat to survival and the belief that one's captor is willing to act on that threat (Read: Sending those who refuse to be slaves to DB)
* The captive's perception of small kindnesses from the captor within a context of terror (Read: Allowing bookouts and other 'privileges')
* Isolation from perspectives other than those of the captor (Read: Propaganda and spiel about the necessity of National Slavery)
* Perceived inability to escape. (Read: 'Lan lan must serve')

Stockholm Syndrome is a survival and coping mechanism which kicks in under great stress, and those who suffer from it deserve compassion, not ridicule.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

So are you looking forward to going back in as a NSman?

Mr Miyagi said...

Yeah, that'll tell 'em! People keep making fun of me because I like reservist.

Agagooga said...

You must be kidding. The fact that I can post this tells you something about whether I am struck with the syndrome :)


Reservist is different lah :)

I wouldn't mind it except for one big thing - I'd have to get a haircut!

dagger said...

Truth be told, I kinda miss some of the times when I was back in the service. Sure, there were lots of shit and backstabbing which I don't ever want to encounter again but there's also the camaradie, the wind in you hair feeling as I sail down the Singapore Straits plus midnight sailings with twinkling lights that makes it all worthwhile. Barely.

isaac! said...

One thing I'll miss. The view of Singapore from the open jump door of a c-130 at 1000ft in the air. Enough to make you speechless. At least till you realise you gotta jump out in to that.

k said...

Life in reservist will usually be more memorable than outside, beacuse you haven't met your pals for months and you're going to be together for only 3 weeks. that's what i gathered anyway. i'm going to like reservist for a different reason - if i get in the RSAF, it's basically paid flying every ICT. if i don't, i'll most likely be MTO for some NS battalion, or worst-case scenario a dyS4.

Aloysius said...

Pretty worthwhile data, lots of thanks for your post.
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