Human Need to Make a Commitment or Renounce a Course of Action

Human beings, being the more intelligent of all the other creatures, ought to act in a structured, responsible, and accountable way -- more so when it comes to the maintenance and/or restoration of order in the society. In so doing, they are expected to abandon and reject actions or behaviors that fly against the principles of an orderly society. In the picture resource provided, we can see several people going about their daily routines, oblivious of what else is happening around them.

A casual look at the picture does not reveal anything out of the normal. However, upon closer inspection, several unusual things stand out -- including some weed overgrowth, litter, a stray dog on the loose, and two snakes lurking about despite this not being their natural habitat. None of those captured in the picture seem to be concerned at all about the state of their immediate environment. They all seem to be unaware about what is going on around them.

This is despite the fact that any person could, for instance, fall victim to a snake bite. We have all come across a concept known as the bystander effect -- which could be defined as an occurrence whereby "the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation" (Psychology Today, 2017). In this case, most of those witnessing an occurrence whereby a situation needs some kind of intervention desist from acting simply because they expect someone else in the crowd to act or intervene.

The bystander effect is clearly evident in the picture resource. Five years ago, I had firsthand experience of this phenomenon. I was in the company of some family members and we had just done some shopping and were headed to our car when we encountered an ugly scene in the parking lot. A young man of around 25 years was physically assaulting his supposed girlfriend while at the same time hurling some unprintable words at her, accusing her of wanting to leave him for another man.

It was evident that the lady did not wish to leave with the young man, prompting him to pull her by the hair in an attempt to force her into his car. The parking lot was not empty -- close to 20 people were watching the unfolding events from a safe distance, and none attempted to intervene despite it being clear that the lady needed help. I felt the urge to act despite pleas from some of those I was with not to get involved.

I briskly walked towards the fighting couple and loudly reprimanded the guy, clearly pointing out that if he did not halt the assault, I would immediately and without hesitation call the cops on him. I had my phone in hand ready to dial. To my, and everybody else's amazement, the guy just walked away while mumbling incoherent threats. I was able to stop an assault that would perhaps have continued for a few more minutes, despite there being people who could have intervened even earlier.

This is an event that changed me and made me realize that I ought to initiate the change that I wish to see in the world. It begins with me, and not the next person. A few years ago, a close friend of mine friend witnessed something that still haunts him to this day. He was leaving the dentist's office and while driving away from the block, he saw a dog inside a car parked nearby.

This is nothing unusual -- however, it was on a hot afternoon, the car windows had been rolled all the way up, and the dog had its paws on the window as if trying to get it to open. My friend should have acted. He did not.

Three days later, while reading a local daily, he came across a disturbing report -- animal rights activists were considering taking legal action against a dog owner who had caused the suffocation of his pet after leaving it unattended in a car with no ventilation. The facts of the report matched the details of the event he had witnessed three days earlier. In essence, my friend was unable to adopt a clear course of action that would have prevented the death of the pet.

Our lives are shaped by the experiences we encounter. These same experiences shape our thoughts, actions, and behaviors. It, therefore, follows that our response to various encounters largely depends on the experiences we have encountered in life and the lessons derived from the said experiences. Personally, I have leant a lot from my own personal experiences and those of others. I could say I am a better person today because of these lessons. For instance, the two examples highlighted above have taught me that.