About the Author: What To Do If You Ever Need to Yell for “Help!”
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Recently, I was reading a book that referenced a study that was conducted many years ago. After reading it, I couldn’t wait to share it.
It was explaining how bystanders often wait to see how other people react to a situation like an accident, a person calling for help, or someone who is in need of urgent medical attention. If other bystanders don’t get involved, then, the research indicates, neither do they.
The research also suggests that if you’re ever in a crisis situation, simply yelling “help” or “fire” won’t likely produce the desired effect.
In fact, the research group who conducted the study had a man lie down and fake convulsions on a busy sidewalk in New York then tested the response of pedestrians. Those that walked by were presented with three different situations: 1) convulsions without the man asking for help 2) convulsions and the man saying “help” and lastly 3) convulsions, pointing and the man asking directly for their help.
So, which one was the “winner?” The answer might surprise you. Only when people were directly asked for their help did they come to the aide of the convulsing man the most often. Three was the winner … by a long shot.
People tend to wait for clues to determine if you specifically need their help. In order to get it, you need to directly and clearly ask them for it. Be sure to point at a specific person, looking them right in the eyes, and state “You in the blue jacket I need your help, I need you to call 911 right now!”
Be sure to tell your friends and family about this. I know I have.
