Most people cannot imagine a day without living in society and completing their expected or imposed responsibilities. In the offered online brief TED Talk, the bystander effect is properly illustrated and discussed to prove the existing paradox of human nature (SoulPancake). Many specific concepts are associated with this phenomenon, including the diffusion of responsibility, empathy, and a roadblock. Each idea is a unique chance to understand what provokes individuals to do or not do something in a particular environment. It was personally interesting for me to learn human behavior and think about my reaction in the same situation.
In psychology and social sciences, the bystander effect is a commonly used theory to explain why people are less likely to help a person in need when other people are nearby. The video authors underline that this effect should be examined when there is some roadblock that could keep an individual from showing empathy and offering help immediately (SoulPancake). Empathy is a uniquely human ability to demonstrate feelings and share them with another person. The roadblocks to empathy usually depend on a personality, the feeling of pressure in a group, and even the community, meaning friends or strangers. The video teaches that, in most cases, the bystander effect is closely related to the diffusion of responsibility, when people feel that they do not need to do something because someone else could help with time (SoulPancake). The experiment concludes that in groups of 10, more than seven minutes are necessary for a person to offer help. In a group of 5, the average time decreases to about five minutes. When a person is alone, less than ten seconds are enough to understand that some help should be offered.
For a long period, I always thought it was in human nature to help each other. This video introduced me to a paradox I was not ready to accept. People’s reactions were weird because they faced enough circumstances to do something and facilitating another person’s work. Most individuals believed that they were not allowed to help, although they were not instructed to sit and do nothing. I realized that everything depends not only on a person but on the people around me. I am disappointed to know that mutual help is not inherent to modern society, and there are no guarantees to be saved when a real problem occurs and vital assistance is needed.
Work Cited
SoulPancake. “The Bystander Effect: The Science of Empathy.” TED Ed, Web.