5.) The Bystander effect
A busy supermarket with lines like beads on rosaries.
What's the reaction when someone drops their groceries?
Known or unknown rhythm to a circumvent,
Actions thought of another helping with a ignorant, subconscious intent.
Thrilling to the heart of content,
Many people will ultimately witness this event.
Each one assumes the other is helping, leading to no one actually aiding.
The terms we seek have good probability,
That is the diffusion of responsibility.
People view others' reactions to gain assurance,
What an interpretation! That is called social influence.
No goods retrieved,
Some people worry about how they will be perceived.
Unwilling and reluctant,
Individuals face fear of social judgment.
Unrecognizable with an emergency pressed on pause,
Quite frankly, hesitation becomes a cause.
A distinct polarity,
This episode has a huge lack of clarity.
Some witness cyberbullying without intervening,
Some video-record fights instead of helping and redeeming.
Some tend to ignore a person if he or she has fallen.
Some perceive they would be perpetrators and should approach with caution.
Some fear the presence of others in workplace scenarios if they report unethical behavior.
Who, then, could be the real savior of that particular misbehavior?
The mind is a powerful tool that can connect;
As one can accept, one shall understand and know all about the bystander effect.
With a kind heart, would you be the one to offer aid and intercept?
Poet: Vynolyn Naidoo
