“Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force of the group's normative power to shape the opinions of the followers who conform without thinking things through, they are often taken at face value. The persistent minority forces the others to process the relevant information more mindfully. Research shows that the deciscions of a group as a whole are more thoughtful and creative when there is minority dissent than when it is absent.”

“I have been primarily interested in how and why ordinary people do unusual things, things that seem alien to their natures. Why do good people sometimes act evil? Why do smart people sometimes do dumb or irrational things?”

“One can't live mindfully without being enmeshed in psychological processes that are around us.”

“Situational variables can exert powerful influences over human behavior, more so that we recognize or acknowledge.”

“Time perspective is one of the most powerful influences on all of human behavior. We're trying to show how people become biased to being exclusively past-, present- or future-oriented.”

“The level of shyness has gone up dramatically in the last decade. I think shyness is an index of social pathology rather than a pathology of the individual.”

“The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces.”

“Human behavior is incredibly pliable, plastic.”

“If you put good apples into a bad situation, you’ll get bad apples.”

“Heroes are those who can somehow resist the power of the situation and act out of noble motives, or behave in ways that do not demean others when they easily can.”

“Being hurt personally triggered a curiosity about how such beliefs are formed.”