concept
also: Philosophy & Psychology
Stockholm Syndrome
A captive's emotional bond with their captor.
Origin
Named after a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm where four hostages, held for six days, defended their captors after release โ even refusing to testify against them. Criminologist Nils Bejerot coined the term. The psychological reality of the phenomenon is contested, but the metaphor has been unstoppable.
Modern usage
Used (often loosely) for anyone who defends someone or something that harms them โ a bad boss, an abusive partner, a frustrating piece of software they've sunk too much time into.
In the wild
I've been on this codebase so long I have Stockholm syndrome.โ engineering humor
Tags
psychology
captivity
loyalty