Most people probably think of themselves as decent – the kind of folks who would take a second out of their day to help a stranger in need.
That’s often true. Unfortunately, too often, that courtesy isn’t extended to everyone.
Take this video by Model Pranksters.
The premise: a man on crutches hobble along a sidewalk and then falls. The rest of the MP team hangs back and films the reactions of people on the street. The variable here is that the experiment is performed twice, with two different men. The first man is dressed like a professional, and the second like a homeless man.
Watch the video through and you’ll see people practically tripping over themselves to help the successful-looking man to his feet after he falls. The results from when the test is done with the man made to look homeless are much less encouraging. People watch as the man struggles to right himself, or else look away and continue walking. The only person to immediately come to the “homeless man’s” aid was a genuine homeless man.
Here’s the good news. As soon as that homeless man rushed in to help, another bystander walked over to offer assistance as well. It’s not ideal, but sometimes people need the reminder of seeing another person offering help before they’ll do so themselves.
So the next time you see a stranger in need of help, no matter what they look like, perhaps consider what helping them might do. You’ll help them, yes, but you’ll also inspire others to do a bit of good themselves. We all could do with a bit more of that.
source: Youtube