Please don't spread the stupid

So I’m sitting in class and there’s this thrilling conversation going on in front of me, here’s an exact* transcript for you:

Student: I have this psych paper about the way we adapt to situations and what happens mentally.

Okay first, what the fuck does that even mean? I don’t think you could have made your explanation any vaguer.

Stupid: Oh yeah—you should talk about the Milgram experiments.

Student: Oh, what’s that?

Stupid: You haven’t heard of them before? (obviously not, hence the previous question) Well it’s about this guy, Milgram, I think you spell it M-I-L-I-G-R-I-M. And he makes this prison and tells people who they’re supposed to be and it’s so amazing how everyone just takes on these roles and they had to shut it down because people actually got violent and stuff.

I’m going to stop you right there, imbecile. If you want to sound smart and intelligent and oh so wise, you really should get your facts straight. The experiment you are describing has nothing to do with the Milgram experiments. What you are describing is know as the Stanford Prison experiments and your explanation is an absolute joke. The Stanford Prison experiments are easily some of the most poignant discoveries of the last century. Various people were assigned roles, you were either a guard or a prisoner—the participants were told that it was just a game, after only two days they started adapting to their environment and truly became their assigned personas. Guards began assaulting prisoners, the prisoners started rebelling, etc, etc. This experiment is relevant to the topic at hand, and the Milgram experiment could be relevant as well, if interpreted the right way, but you’re layman’s explanation of it makes me laugh.

It is taking everything that is in me to not butt in and tell you that you’re an idiot. So please, for future’s sake, if you think you know something, get your facts straight before you start spreading the stupid. It’ll be like an epidemic, and a whole bunch of us will be effected (I will be the exception).