--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was also beginning to learn about…" description: "\"“I was also beginning to learn about social psychology and the Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures, which made me think about how mall..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/veronica-roth-66_programming_i-was-also-beginning-to-learn-about-soci_3034747.jpg" --- # I was also beginning to learn about social psychology and… ![“I was also beginning to learn about social psychology and the Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures, which made me think about how malleable our supposedly strict moral codes become in the right conditions. Something that DIVERGENT grapples with.” quote by Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/veronica-roth-66_programming_i-was-also-beginning-to-learn-about-soci_3034747.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/veronica-roth-66_programming_i-was-also-beginning-to-learn-about-soci_3034747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/veronica-roth-66_programming_i-was-also-beginning-to-learn-about-soci_3034747.jpg) > ““I was also beginning to learn about social psychology and the Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures, which made me think about how malleable our supposedly strict moral codes become in the right conditions. Something that DIVERGENT grapples with.”” [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explores how authority can reshape moral beliefs, showing ethics are context‑dependent. **In simple terms:** Authority can change our morals. Key Takeaway Question your own moral assumptions. Themes psychology ethics authority obedience Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - Education - leadership training - policy making - personal reflection Key Concepts Social influence moral flexibility situational ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you react when authority challenges your values? - When have you seen authority shift someone's ethics? A Different Perspective Moral codes may be fragile under pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Social psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“The Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures was a series of social psychology experiments conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram. 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She behaved well towards her family and she had always been kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/her-friend-who-treated-her-maid-badly-was-not-a-wicked-person-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And I don't think that government has a role in telling people how to live their lives. Maybe a minister does, maybe your belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/and-i-don-t-think-that-government-has-a-role-in-telling-people-how-to/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [I try not to think in terms of good and bad but more in terms of helpful or unhelpful in regards to specific moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brancatisano/i-try-not-to-think-in-terms-of-good-and-bad-but-more-in-terms-of/) [Richard Brancatisano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brancatisano/) > [Maxims in times of danger are useless, experience is incommunicable. The knotted strands of life, desire, assumptions, and moral codes cannot be unsnarled; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/maxims-in-times-of-danger-are-useless-experience-is-incommunicable/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [“Moral codes are like the ocean. Some people live by them, while others, such as myself, would rather live by a lake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/moral-codes-are-like-the-ocean-some-people-live-by-them-while-others/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“What then is the relation of law to morality? Law cannot prescribe morality, it can prescribe only external actions and therefore it should prescribe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-then-is-the-relation-of-law-to-morality-law-cannot-prescribe/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Moral codes adjust themselves to environmental conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/moral-codes-adjust-themselves-to-environmental-conditions/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Social confusion has now reached a point at which the pursuit of immorality turns out to be more exhausting than compliance with the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-de-rougemont/social-confusion-has-now-reached-a-point-at-which-the-pursuit-of/) [Denis de Rougemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-de-rougemont/) > [“Much everyday anger results when we confuse our own personal wants with general moral codes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/much-everyday-anger-results-when-we-confuse-our-own-personal-wants/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [“Every institution of our day, the family, the State, our moral codes, sees in every strong, beautiful, uncompromising personality a deadly enemy; therefore every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/every-institution-of-our-day-the-family-the-state-our-moral-codes/) Various > [Beauty is a living abiding presence completely untouchable by all the devices of man, such as moral codes, creeds, intellectual analysis, games and cliches,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawren-harris/beauty-is-a-living-abiding-presence-completely-untouchable-by-all-the/) [Lawren Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawren-harris/) ## More by Veronica Roth > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-was-beginning-to-feel-that-i-had-finally-found-a-place-to-stay-a/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“He acts so tough that he’s probably afraid of marshmallows and really bright sunrises or something. Overcompensating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-acts-so-tough-that-he-s-probably-afraid-of-marshmallows-and-really/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [And is it selfish of me to crave victory, or is it brave?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-is-it-selfish-of-me-to-crave-victory-or-is-it-brave/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [You always look like someone's sucked the life right out of you when something fascinates you. -Tris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/you-always-look-like-someone-s-sucked-the-life-right-out-of-you-when/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We can be mended. We mend each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-can-be-mended-we-mend-each-other/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Don’t worry about me handling the pain," I say. "I’ve had a lot of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/don-t-worry-about-me-handling-the-pain-i-say-i-ve-had-a-lot-of/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Soon I will honor my parents by dying as they died. and if all they believed about death was true, soon I will join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/soon-i-will-honor-my-parents-by-dying-as-they-died-and-if-all-they/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Mas lembre-se, já agora, que por vezes as pessoas que oprimimos tornam-se mais poderosas do que nós gostaríamos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mas-lembre-se-j-agora-que-por-vezes-as-pessoas-que-oprimimos-tornam/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“am aware of how little space there is between us—six inches at most. That space feels charged with electricity. I feel like it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/am-aware-of-how-little-space-there-is-between-us-six-inches-at-most/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Oh, good,” I say, a sour taste in my mouth. “Heroism is what I was focused on. Not, you know, trying not to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/oh-good-i-say-a-sour-taste-in-my-mouth-heroism-is-what-i-was-focused/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Caleb frowns at him. "How old are you, anyway?" "Eighteen." "And you don't think you're too old to be with my little sister?" Tobias…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/caleb-frowns-at-him-how-old-are-you-anyway-eighteen-and-you-don-t/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [What do you think they're going to do to us when they find us guilty?" she says after a few minutes of silence have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/what-do-you-think-they-re-going-to-do-to-us-when-they-find-us-guilty/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“La paz está restringida, eso es libertad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/la-paz-est-restringida-eso-es-libertad/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolized the sun. Back when I got this, I figured if I always had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/in-some-parts-of-the-ancient-world-the-hawk-symbolized-the-sun-back/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) [Explore all 1,589 Veronica Roth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More Programming quotes > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When we shipped 'Borderlands 2,' we didn't ship it with a plan of how the level cap was going to increase. We didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pitchford/when-we-shipped-borderlands-2-we-didn-t-ship-it-with-a-plan-of-how/) [Randy Pitchford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pitchford/) > [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [“Check the program before you two start undressing and...well, doing whatever freaky shit you talked Harley into.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cox/check-the-program-before-you-two-start-undressing-and-well-doing/) [James Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cox/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [One of my most productive days was throwing away 1,000 lines of code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/one-of-my-most-productive-days-was-throwing-away-1-000-lines-of-code/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [Writing code means always having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ford/writing-code-means-always-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Paul Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ford/) > [Limit use of shareware and public domain software to systems without fixed disks. If you do use them on fixed disks, allocate separate subdirectories...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcafee/limit-use-of-shareware-and-public-domain-software-to-systems-without/) [John McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcafee/) > [I'm publicist, patron of nine charities, creative director, food consultant, recipe developer - and mum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-m-publicist-patron-of-nine-charities-creative-director-food/) [Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/) > [With VR, we have this same vision, which is create this ultimate platform for sharing your imagination. Our huge community of 300,000 developers creates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baszucki/with-vr-we-have-this-same-vision-which-is-create-this-ultimate/) [David Baszucki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baszucki/) > [It would be a piece of ingenuousness to accuse the man of today of his lack of moral code. The accusation would leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/it-would-be-a-piece-of-ingenuousness-to-accuse-the-man-of-today-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [A lot of the kids gave a lot of positive feedback about if I ever became a coach, they would love to play in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/a-lot-of-the-kids-gave-a-lot-of-positive-feedback-about-if-i-ever/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. 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