When we hear the words “Social Engagement,” what do we first think about? I think of it as being an active individual in society. But are we always active? And if we are not, does that mean we’re bad people? As we discussed in Social Psychology class, multiple obstacle factors play a role.
If we divide these obstacle factors into groups (as we did in class), they align with different stages of the decision-making process in emergencies: 1. Notice what’s going on: Distraction, self-concern. 2. Interpret as an emergency: Ambiguity, pluralistic ignorance (“Everyone else knows something I don’t – it must not be an emergency”) 3. Assume responsibility: Diffusion of responsibility (“Someone else will take care of this”) 4. Decide how to help: Lack of knowledge on how to help. 5. Provide help: Fear of getting sued, all sorts of “what ifs.”
One story came to mind as I was writing this. Our family from Canada was visiting us in Portugal, and on an unusually hot day, my uncle, two of my little cousins, my brother, and I went shopping. To cool down, it gets very hot in Algarve (the southern region of Portugal) in summer, we decided to get some iced coffee at Starbucks. As we were waiting for our drinks, my uncle suddenly moved toward me, speaking loudly. It all happened in a fraction of a second – in the blink of an eye, a woman in line collapsed. We later realized she had passed out, possibly due to the heat or something else. She regained consciousness within a minute, but I was shocked – first by what had happened and second by my own inaction. Why did I do nothing except move toward her and freeze? I thought I was just stunned and quickly moved on.
Yet, I still think about this situation and ask myself: Was it that I couldn’t react fast enough? Was I afraid to touch someone while catching them, possibly making them uncomfortable? Did I think that this wasn’t an emergency and I was overthinking and might overreact to what was going on? Did I simply not know how to help and thus freeze? I don’t know. What I do know is that my uncle reacted – he caught the woman before she could hit the floor and potentially injure herself. I’m proud of him. I also know that I learn from those around me, and this was a powerful example of how to act in such situations. Since then, I’ve started paying more attention whenever I think someone might collapse, preparing myself to step in.
Our society can be inactive at times. And, as much as I can’t believe I’m saying this – we have to learn from those who are half a step ahead of us, those who are ready to act.
This specific lecture made me reflect on moments when I genuinely wanted to help, but something held me back. It was an important lesson, not just in the context of Social Psych 0013, Section 01, Spring Semester 2025, but in life itself – and in the choices we make to act or not to act.