Jerome Glombowski
Social Psychology
Writing Assignment 1 Week 8
May 7, 2013

Bystander Intervention

If I were in a busy city park with one of my friends, and I suddenly see someone across the street that seems to be having a heart attack, I would move quickly to assess the situation, and, if needed, provide aide in any way I could. If they were in fact, having a heart attack, I would dial 911 and remain there until emergency help arrives. I would do this because I value life itself, and I would help anyone to preserve the existence of human life. My relationship to the stranger or the actions, or lack thereof, of the gathering crowd would be irrelevant on me, (in fact, I’d likely be more motivated to help a stranger compared to helping someone that I knew, but also had knowledge that that known person was evil, then I wouldn’t lift a finger to help said evil person. I’d probably cheer for the ending of that evil person’s existence.) The bystander effect would be rendered ineffective. I probably would not notice if a friend I was with took action with me to help, or not. In fact, I would block out the presence of any other non-relevant person or gathering crowd, just like a professional athlete would while playing in front of fifty thousand screaming people, focusing only on what I needed to do in the current situation to help, if I could, sustain the life of the heart attack victim until medical help arrived. I do not prescribe or hold the notion of altruism as a value in any way, shape or form. In fact, it is a vice. Altruism is the ethical doctrine that says a man does not have a right to exist for his own sake, that serving or helping others is the only justification of their existence. Our lecture presentation said, “We have a moral duty to help others without reward,” which amounts to a regurgitation of Immanuel Kant. In deference to Kant,