• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

The Bystander Effect: why people in groups suck

alcea rosea

New member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
3,658
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
The Bystander Effect: why people in groups suck

It's easier not to take the blame if you are in larger group when something bad happens.

There were some explanations and theories about this in social psychology (which is very interesting by the way).

The other thing is that maybe people "freeze" by unexpected situation?

And thinking about MBTI types: maybe there is no action oriented Se funciton dominant people in the group to act: the ESTP's! :D
 

Clover

New member
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
131
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
5w4
Yeah, I won't ever forgive myself for passing by that old lady who was struggling with her bag going down the stairs in Penn Station. I should have helped her, thought other people would help her, but no one did. She made it down the stairs alright, but still... ):

I was also witness to a small transformer fire while I was in my father's apartment. I didn't know where I was, well I knew I was in Philadelphia, so I would feel like a complete douche calling the fire department. And of course I was sitting there thinking, "Wait, is that really a fire? What if it isn't a fire but something else completely harmless? Will I get arrested for calling 911 if this really isn't an emergency?" So I just called my dad who called the fire department and I prayed that someone else had called too.

Oh, also, while I was on the train this weekend I had a fight with my father and was crying for almost two hours on the way home (not sobbing obnoxiously, mind you) and nobody bothered to ask what was the matter or even offered a word of condolence. Not that I was looking for attention, but I sure felt lonely when everyone just glanced curiously at me then went back to reading their magazines. That was obviously a pretty insignificant situation to me, but if people can't even step up to comfort their fellow man, how can we expect them to help someone when they face a more dire situation?
 

Thursday

Earth Exalted
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
3,960
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
8w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
It discomforts me to here about your knee, dear.
yes, i care about someone other than myself[sarcasm]

however, your recent heroics are a turn on to say the least
call me.
 

millerm277

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
978
MBTI Type
ISTP
If there is some situation, that I think is important/urgent, then I generally act immediately, with whatever I'm capable of doing to solve the problem. In the event of some type of crime, as long as I can meet it with equal force or better, I've got no problem with intervening. (I have once before).

I probably wouldn't give a damn if you were crying on the subway, unless it looked like there was something serious that caused you to be crying. Other people's Emotional/personal matters aren't something I'm concerned with. (Sorry, but that's how I'm wired...I'm not big on this: :hug:)

No idea on whether any of this is specific to my type or not.
 

01011010

New member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
3,916
MBTI Type
INxJ
I recently was nearly robbed and broke my kneecap in the process. Somewhere around 30 people could clearly see the entire thing go down, and yet only one person came by to ask if I was ok. WTF is with people?!?

I empathize with your situation. I was actually robbed in an insanely crowded area. Like walking so close to others, shoulders brushed. I think people are just slow to react to negative things that happen. Also, some people simply don't care.
 

VanillaCat

New member
Joined
May 25, 2008
Messages
178
MBTI Type
ENFP
Once I was riding a bike and then went down a wrong road when I was really young. I did NOT know how to ride a bike, THAT was the problem. So I ended up going extremely fast down this road and crashed. There were about 15 people around and only two adults helped me, because "they thought I was their daughter."

Wonderful.

I don't really want to go into details about what happened but I was bleeding from my arms, legs, etc. Terrible memory, but it happened. It makes me sick to think people wouldn't even help a child.
 

miss fortune

not to be trusted
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
20,589
Enneagram
827
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
The majority of responses I've gotten when I asked people this question in real life were that they felt that someone else would respond and that they were afraid of putting themselves in danger if they responded in such a situation.

In my own case curiosity trumps all... I'm interested enough in what is going on and such that danger be damned, I'm going in! :D

I guess that it's just disturbing that so many people have such a severe case of tunnel vision, focusing on themselves and thier own lives instead of looking at themselves as just another part of a larger entity- I suppose the thought that we're NOT special and unique snowflakes, but a part of a larger system is depressing to some *shrug*

Of course nosiness is probably self centered as well, but at least it can be helpful! ;)
 

millerm277

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
978
MBTI Type
ISTP
When people are in groups, and something happens outside of their field of knowledge, most will not do anything, because they are unsure of how to handle the situation, and think that someone else who knows what to do will step in. The problem is...typically there are none of those people around.

Even the people who are inclined to help, will usually only help in the way that they know how....in the case of crime, that means calling the police, rather than trying to stop it themselves. Also, remember what all those people have always been taught by police officers: "Don't take the law into your own hands", so they call 911 and continue on their way, expecting the police will magically show up in 10 seconds and arrest the criminal(s) before they escape/hurt someone.
 

Sunshine

New member
Joined
Apr 25, 2008
Messages
1,040
MBTI Type
ABCD
Enneagram
4
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I can't speak for my entire type, but I can tell you that I wouldn't hesitate to intervene. I have a powerful protective urge - especially as it pertains to apparent victimization.

The only fights I've gotten into during my adult years were defensive in nature.

Krav Maga is handy.

My INTJ dad rescued some lady's purse from a robber. =)
 

edel weiss

New member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
147
MBTI Type
ENTP
I've generally rushed to try and help people without thinking of the consequences. There was once this mob brutally beating up a guy for shoplifting (Yeah, this sort of stuff happens in India all the time. Don't ask), and I tried to rush in and stop them, much to the horror of my parents who pointed out, correctly, that all that would happen was that I'd probably get beaten up as well.

I've heard of accident victims who nobody bothered to help. A woman jumped off the building where I stay, and nobody even tried to check whether she was alive except for my ENTP father, (we didn't know which floor she'd fallen from)

Once a little girl was knocked off her bicycle by a bigger vehicle in my city. Instead of rushing her to the hospital, the onlookers decided that it was more fruitful to beat up the person who'd hit her - and she died because of this negligence.

I find it absolutely frustrating and heartbreaking.
 

Metis

New member
Joined
May 2, 2008
Messages
2,534
If I see an emergency and suddenly have to snap to attention, I'm likely to stand there bewildered and try to figure out what's going on and what to do about it until the chance to do it has passed. Unless it's clear to me.

I recently was nearly robbed and broke my kneecap in the process. Somewhere around 30 people could clearly see the entire thing go down, and yet only one person came by to ask if I was ok. WTF is with people?!?

;) I was actually chasing the mother****er down after he broke into my apartment- he should be glad that I wasn't armed, as my first impulse would have been to shoot him in the back as he ran away :doh: Being a klutz, I tripped, fell and broke my patella and couldn't walk... only one person came by at all.

Hope it heals soon.

Did they actually see that he had broken in? Or maybe they saw you chasing him and assumed you were the aggressor.

Oh, also, while I was on the train this weekend I had a fight with my father and was crying for almost two hours on the way home (not sobbing obnoxiously, mind you) and nobody bothered to ask what was the matter or even offered a word of condolence. Not that I was looking for attention, but I sure felt lonely when everyone just glanced curiously at me then went back to reading their magazines. That was obviously a pretty insignificant situation to me, but if people can't even step up to comfort their fellow man, how can we expect them to help someone when they face a more dire situation?

I'd look at you with concern, not curiosity, and probably leave you alone unless you seemed like you wanted to be disturbed. On the other hand, I would appreciate it if someone, not everyone, voiced some concern for me, so I'm not sure why I'd assume and act like you wouldn't.
 
Top