Another Parallel to My Lai

It just struck me a similarity between Lieutenant Calley and some head Nazis; Both said that they did what they did in an effort to impress the higher-ups in their respective governments. Calley, a very young lieutenant, acted in an attempt to prove himself to the U.S. government (and probably seek a promotion), and many Nazis massacred Jews and other "undesirable" people in order to impress and gain favor with their fuhrer. I feel like this situation goes beyond these two incidents. To what extent do we break with our morals or logical analysis in order to impress others?