Danger...Friend OR An Enemy??

[sensei8]

Imho, what separates heroes from the rest of humanity is that heroes are heroes because they're so rare and their actions are so unprecedented.

I'm not totally sure that every MAist would truly help a stranger as that said stranger is being attacked. After all, the skill sets of MAists should be more than capable for saving a helpless stranger.

Your thoughts?

EDIT: Spelling/grammer errors.

Edited December 9, 2012 by sensei8

[Zaine]

It was taught to me that most times people who rush in to help strangers generally have confidence in their bodies enough to believe that they can save the stranger. This seems true to me. How many people think "I would help but I can't?" I think that most people do instinctively shy away from danger as a survival instinct. I think the thing that separates a hero from everybody else is that they go against this instinct to survive long enough to make a difference in somebodies life.

[MasterPain]

If I could tell someone was honestly the victim of violence, I'd help them. But, like Zaine says, confidence is a factor. I'm trained for violence. Now, if a stranger was drowning, they better hope I have a rope.

[sensei8]

It was taught to me that most times people who rush in to help strangers generally have confidence in their bodies enough to believe that they can save the stranger. This seems true to me. How many people think "I would help but I can't?" I think that most people do instinctively shy away from danger as a survival instinct. I think the thing that separates a hero from everybody else is that they go against this instinct to survive long enough to make a difference in somebodies life.

Solid post!!

I like it that you spoke about having confidence in their bodies ENOUGH to BELIEVE that they can save the stranger. Putting one in direct path of existing danger does take more than one is willing to realize; being truthful to oneself isn't always that easy.

[sensei8]

If I could tell someone was honestly the victim of violence, I'd help them. But, like Zaine says, confidence is a factor. I'm trained for violence. Now, if a stranger was drowning, they better hope I have a rope.

As always MP, you've found the truth by being both real and being funny.

Knowing that the stranger is indeed the true victim, I believe that you'd have to be there to witness the entire "situation" because if the stranger isn't the victim as you perceive it to be so and you save the actual attacker...it's more than just a..."my bad"!

[ninjanurse]

Agreed sensei8...only "fools rush in"!

[Dobbersky]

Seeing people avoid situations that would have helped the victim of an ongoing "crime" makes me think this statement is true.

Too many would turn around and walk away than get involved.

I had a friend who "knocked out" the boyfriend of a girl that was being punched and kicked by the then conscious boyfriend.

The girl started to attack my mate screaming what you hurt him for etc.

My mate just replied, "Sorry love, I should have just let him beat you to death....."

And walked away

So for some not getting involved is due to a previous situation where they once did.

[DWx]

Some great points so far, I especially like the idea of having confidence in yourself to do it. I also think that whether you put yourself in such a position also has to do with a combination of either having a fight or flight instinct and whether or not you are a sheep or a wolf.

If there are a lot of bystanders, sometimes I think everyone waits for someone else to make a move because surely someone will step in to help? They themselves aren't confident enough to do anything so just wait for someone else to. Can't remember where but I once read that if you are in a position where you need to ring the emergency services, instead of shouting "someone call 911!", what you should so instead is to specifically tell one person to make the call otherwise in a crowd of people, everyone assumes that someone else will step up and do it.

[Wastelander]

There have been studies done on the "bystander effect" where the more people there are around a situation, the less likely someone is to help because they feel someone else will help. I actually saw a story earlier this year where an investigative news show had a little girl walk down a street with hidden cameras over and over again and they had an actor "kidnap" her. Despite her struggling and screaming, even trying saying different things, it took them something like 6 attempts before anyone helped. Once two men dropped what they were doing and ran to help, all of a sudden several other people started making calls to the police or moving to help as well.

[bushido_man96]

Most people in the world are sheep. And this isn't bad. It just is. Most people don't have the capacity to deal with violence, and don't want to, and that's the mark of a chemically balanced human being. Then there are the wolves that feed on the sheep, and the sheepdogs, who have the capacity for violence like the wolves, but also have a moral and ethical code to go along with it.

The bystander studies prove some good points. Its amazing how someone can yell rape and no one turns a head. I think they still teach women to yell fire, don't they? I don't know if that is because a fire would have a greater chance of affecting more people around, or what, or that fact that a fire is not a human violence, but it make people react differently.