Emotions are something every human experiences whether it be good or bad, the experiments specifically made by Stanley Milgram tested the limits and habits of how a human reacts when all instructions were followed obediently. For instance, they conducted an experiment where a volunteer was to play a memory game, and every time they repeat the words incorrectly they are to be shocked. The purpose of the experiment was to see how the “teacher” would react as the voltage increase corresponding to the number of incorrect answers. In this situation, every normal human would feel guilt and fear every single time click the button, but what if you were instructed to do so. This is when the habits of our human mind deviate from how we feel. From the point of view of the teacher, it shows the unwillingness to continue but has to continue following directions knowing it’s part of the experiment. However, The experimenter is the one who commands this experiment but we as humans don’t take into account how they feel.

When we interact, talk, or socialize with anyone we always act upon based on what the other person will react. On the other hand, the person you talk to might think otherwise. Then comes the question of how does the way we act impacts, someone. We could argue the fact that a person will react given the situation they are in. Which then goes back to the experiment, where the teacher was put into a controlled experiment. He was only told what’s to be done even though his conscience is telling him what he is doing is not right. The poem “Enemies” captures this idea where it states “You must not think of them again, except as monsters like yourself”(Berry, lines 12-14). We can relate to the teacher as the “monster” and from his mind, what he is doing is inhumane. This argument of whether your actions can impact someone can very well be compared to a paradox. It questions our ability to realize that the actions we make whether impact the person as to how we expect it would.

As someone who was taught that investing in yourself was the highest priority gave me advantages in life, but it also led me to be increasingly ignorant to the people around me. For example. On a Saturday night, I was invited by a friend to go out for a dinner, and at that time was still at work near the end of my shift. My ability to procrastinate got the better of me and ended up arriving 30 minutes late. At the moment I didn’t think much about coming late and simply gave him an apology. However, this wouldn’t be my first time and certainly not the last, until one day he suddenly did not want to go. I questioned him and argued with him but in the end – no. He explained how he was tired of my tardiness and did not want to listen to any excuse, which then made me realize how much I messed up. To this day, I always give a straightforward answer; if I’m late I’m late, if I can’t make it, I won’t be there, If I’ll be there in 5 minutes, I’ll be there in five minutes. This experience taught me that what you are doing at the moment might not matter but, it can definitely impact how someone thinks about you progressively.