Indirect resistance

Abstract

This paper discusses “indirect resistance” to authorities who commit inhumane acts. There are two ways to resist authority, namely, direct resistance and indirect resistance. Direct resistance is an act of confronting those in power who commit inhumane acts at the risk of incurring penalties. Indirect resistance, on the other hand, is action to undermine the inhumane acts of those in power without taking the risk of incurring penalties. To date, few studies in social psychology have focused on the topic of indirect resistance. This paper comprises case studies of acts of indirect resistance that arose in extreme situations such as war, massacre, and tyranny. Based on the findings, we examine the effectivity and limitations of indirect resistance and the complementary relationship between indirect resistance and direct resistance.