Bystanders

Many years ago, when I was in my 20's, I felt unwell when I was in a pub with my husband & his friend. I went outside to get some air & ended up sitting on the pavement. No one stopped to ask if I was OK or helped me. I was wearing a new suede coat & looked smart. Obviously eventually my husband realised I'd been gone a while & came to find me. I thought it was strange that people just walked on past me.

Since then I have had other more positive experiences showing that people vary in their behaviour when it seems that someone is in trouble. 

There is a Bystander Effect - a theory describing when people are less likely to help someone in need when others are present. People may believe that a situation cannot be an emergency if no one else is helping. Being part of a large crowd can make it so no single person has to take responsibility. People may be concerned about getting involved or fear judgement, legal action or personal harm. It can occur during emergencies, assaults, or other crimes.  

In a macro way I think that we are suffering from the Bystander Effect now. We can all see what is happening in the world - the climate emergency, war in Ukraine & Palestine, Political instability & the rise of dictators acting with seeming impunity, famine & unfair wealth & resources distribution...The list seems endless & very serious. We live in an interlinked world of instantanious communication. We know.

I would argue that each & every one of us cannot afford to be a bystander. We are transitioning to a very different world. The future of that world depends hugely on what we each individually do now. We do have choice. We can stand aside & say that we have no power to influence or change. Or we can ensure that our voice is heard. 

If we have "Influencers" making money out of selling themselves, their ideas & products, then we can all be "Influencers". We have the power of communication today that has never existed before. We just need to use it for the right purposes.

It is vital that the liars, misinformers, power & wealth hungry "bad actors" who are in the ascendent today are stripped of "the Emperors New Clothes" that they wear. They believe they are invincible. They are, but only if we let them. If we do that we deserve what will follow.