Bystander Effect?

[Neri]

I do resonate with the article. Especially when I was younger before I became agoraphobic I intervened with bullies on the streets, even violent ones. I looked after homeless people. I couldn't just watch any kind of bullying without stepping in or calling for police back up, if needed .

Now, I have an Aspie partner and he is even more like that than me, so I just leave it to him. He is huge and male so he's in a better position for it anyway.

When we are at home, if he hears anyone in distress, he will always go out to investigate. He is trained in first aid too so I know he would be the first to step in if anyone was hurt as well.
We once stopped the car because a couple of toddlers were crossing the road and everyone else just kept driving. He found their home and took them there.
He also stops for injured or at risk animals.

There have been occasions when I've had to back him up though, in a violent encounter (him getting assaulted or being threatened) so even though I am currently more of an agoraphobe than not, I'm not a cowardly or irresponsible person.

 

[Au Naturel]

An interesting thing I've figured since viewing this thread, is the coffee mugs at work. There's only about 10 of us at work and most drink tea and coffee (I say most, because I'm probably the only one who don't). But when dirty mugs pile up in the sink, I've heard each co-worker say "why are they so lazy not to wash up?" But they are all as bad as each other there. I thought it was just putting the blame on to everyone but themselves, but I think it's due to the herd mentality effect; each person puts his or her mug in the sink thinking it will just get washed up by someone else, and this continues until there's a pile of dirty mugs in the sink but it's always "the others" who make the mess.

Very interesting, is human behaviour. And I'm not saying I'm immune to it, because I'd probably be as bad as them if I drank tea and coffee. Instead I bring in my own drink.

That's a variation on the Tragedy of the Commons. Since people are not responsible for keeping their cup clean, nor does anyone have the official job of cup cleaning, no cups gets cleaned.