Most of us rely on others when we are among a group of people. We experience a different perspective in a group then when we are alone. In a group of people a lot of us, feel there's no need to panic when something happens around us. As the author Carol Tavris focus in the article "In groups we shrink" how people in groups and others alone react very differently in a variety of serious situation. She tells us that when someone is alone are more likely to be faster and alert to act then in a group of people. From personal experience and facts from the reading I think she's right.
I remember a few years ago, when I was riding in the bus heading home. Staring out the window and suddenly I started to see smoke going up the sky. As we get closer to the smoke, I discovered there was a building on fire. No one was at the location yet. Everyone in the bus was arise to see the fire, some started to take their phones out but not to call for help but to video tape the incident. Unfortunately minutes later people seated back down and everything was back to normal.
Tavris states that psychologists call this behavior " diffusion of responsibility" or "social loafing". That people in groups don't want to take the responsibility of taking an action because they feel like someone else have done so already. So they just hung around watching or some try to ignore and move on like it didn't exits. Whereas individual have no choice but to react rapidly to a situation knowing that no one is around to depend on to act but them. For instance, when I was driving Last week about 11 pm , I saw this older men had fall down on the floor of sidewalk. There was no else around but me without any hesitation, I stopped and helped the guy on a ride home.
We have to start with our self to change this habit. We must stop depending on each other to act. This laziness would only make things worst then what they already is. Its a behavior that convince our self to change. We have to understand that even though we among others, we still have to act as if we were alone. Even if we know or feel strongly like someone else has already taken care of it.
I remember a few years ago, when I was riding in the bus heading home. Staring out the window and suddenly I started to see smoke going up the sky. As we get closer to the smoke, I discovered there was a building on fire. No one was at the location yet. Everyone in the bus was arise to see the fire, some started to take their phones out but not to call for help but to video tape the incident. Unfortunately minutes later people seated back down and everything was back to normal.
Tavris states that psychologists call this behavior " diffusion of responsibility" or "social loafing". That people in groups don't want to take the responsibility of taking an action because they feel like someone else have done so already. So they just hung around watching or some try to ignore and move on like it didn't exits. Whereas individual have no choice but to react rapidly to a situation knowing that no one is around to depend on to act but them. For instance, when I was driving Last week about 11 pm , I saw this older men had fall down on the floor of sidewalk. There was no else around but me without any hesitation, I stopped and helped the guy on a ride home.
We have to start with our self to change this habit. We must stop depending on each other to act. This laziness would only make things worst then what they already is. Its a behavior that convince our self to change. We have to understand that even though we among others, we still have to act as if we were alone. Even if we know or feel strongly like someone else has already taken care of it.
