It’s hard to be a hero
Their startling conclusion, which is now known as the bystander effect, is that the more people who witness a crime, the less likely any one of them will come to the aid of the victim. Partly this is because when people see others not doing anything, they become confused, not sure if it really is an emergency — “a collective ignorance” says Latané. Another reason, though, is something called the diffusion of responsibility. “You think to yourself, there are all these other people here. This isn’t entirely my problem,” says Latané.
Go back to the beginning of this column. The crucial detail in 2007, when viewed through the prism of behavioral science, is that the subway platform was nearly empty. Autrey acted heroically — even leaving his two young children unattended to do so — because there was no one else who could help. On Monday, the 49th Street subway platform was full of people, each possibly thinking that someone else was closer, someone else was stronger, someone else should be responsible for the heroic act. As a result, no one acted.
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“Humanity” and “Civilization” are way overrated.
Schadenfreude on December 8, 2012 at 7:31 PM
Until I am actually in this kind of situation and truly know how I would react, I’m not going to judge.
Cindy Munford on December 8, 2012 at 7:42 PM
Ain’t it the truth.
davidk on December 8, 2012 at 7:50 PM
It’s New York City for pities sake.
Down South people will greet complete strangers with “How Y’all doing today?”
In NYC it’s “Hey, what are you lookin at?”
Galt2009 on December 8, 2012 at 7:50 PM
Ayeah, in an age when you can get sued for everything and anything, being a hero is dang risky.
MelonCollie on December 8, 2012 at 8:48 PM
When you say “You don’t know for sure what you would do in a situation like that,” you make cowardice the default position.
CurtZHP on December 8, 2012 at 9:02 PM
Sod off, you online Superman.
MelonCollie on December 8, 2012 at 9:04 PM
The more people around, the easier it is to hide in the crowd
I would not excuse it as collective ignorance. I would call it instinctive selfishness: let someone else volunteer.
Not wrong about lawsuits. The lawsuit itself is a symptom of the selfishness of the current culture.
I have seen too many instances of courage to say cowardice is the norm. From a co worker who steps up and pats the back of a worker who has been marked by management, to a young man on a bus I saw stand-off, eyeball to eyeball with a guy apparently holding a gun in his coat. There is heroism to be seen if one will look. Consider all the folk who drove towards the WTC after they heard of the attack.
On the subway case, I bet most of the ‘frozen’ ones were people who feared they also would be thrown. Collectively they were measuring how much they wanted to keep breathing. Possible subliminal need to stall, in hope someone will move first to take the responsibility out of their hands
If they weren’t conflicted, they would have either moved to help. or bailed for the exit.
entagor on December 8, 2012 at 9:37 PM
That comment is ignorant.
davidk on December 8, 2012 at 9:50 PM
This! I’ve been in both situations. I’ve acted when I when no one else was there and didn’t when others were around and closer.
Once when I didn’t act, the church lady died from a heart attack. I sometimes wonder if it would have turned out differently if I reacted, but it doesn’t keep me up at night because others did render CPR to no avail.
Another time was when I was really young, the driver and I were thrown from the bus after a head on collision with an 18 Wheeler.I didn’t have a scratch but I watched the driver die after about 10 mine. All I did was talk to him – don’t remember what – until he passed. Only after he died did I hear the chaos on the other side of the hedgerows and my dad yelling for me. Everyone was busted up to one degree or another, save me. And to think I “instigated the crash by playing with the passenger door latch and distracting the driver. I was 5 then and it was after midnight. Go figure.
AH_C on December 8, 2012 at 10:35 PM
PS. Sorta reminds me of what I call the “Rambo” syndrome. Where young soldiers talk smack about how they’ll fight. Once the bullets start flying, they’re setting their pants and crying. Until someone is actually face a situation, it’s easy for them to think they’ll be the hero or blame others for not acting. Talk is cheap when you haven’t faced a life or death situation.
AH_C on December 8, 2012 at 10:42 PM