Comments on: How to Save Your Own Life (or Some One Else’s) http://agemyths.com/2009/10/22/how-to-save-your-own-life-or-some-one-elses/ The positive realities of growing older Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:09:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Madeleine Kolb http://agemyths.com/2009/10/22/how-to-save-your-own-life-or-some-one-elses/#comment-80 Madeleine Kolb Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:36:11 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=735#comment-80 Arvind, Thank you so much for sharing this example.This really is information that you hope you will never need but so essential if you do come upon an accident. I'm so glad that you knew exactly how to help. Arvind, Thank you so much for sharing this example.This really is information that you hope you will never need but so essential if you do come upon an accident. I’m so glad that you knew exactly how to help.

]]> By: Arvind Devalia http://agemyths.com/2009/10/22/how-to-save-your-own-life-or-some-one-elses/#comment-78 Arvind Devalia Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:01:55 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=735#comment-78 Madeleine, earlier on today I went for a walk and just 5 minutes from my home there was a car crash. It happened just a minute or two before I got there and the scene was just like in your post. The police had not arrived yet, and since no one was in charge, I took it upon myself to control the traffic that was building up. Your article really came in useful as I was very directive and pointed to some of the drivers to stop and when to go. Pointing, being assertive and giving clear instructions really helped me to take charge. I read your article earlier in the week and it was really timely. Thank you:-) Madeleine, earlier on today I went for a walk and just 5 minutes from my home there was a car crash. It happened just a minute or two before I got there and the scene was just like in your post.

The police had not arrived yet, and since no one was in charge, I took it upon myself to control the traffic that was building up.

Your article really came in useful as I was very directive and pointed to some of the drivers to stop and when to go.

Pointing, being assertive and giving clear instructions really helped me to take charge.

I read your article earlier in the week and it was really timely.

Thank you:-)

]]> By: Madeleine Kolb http://agemyths.com/2009/10/22/how-to-save-your-own-life-or-some-one-elses/#comment-75 Madeleine Kolb Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:57:51 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=735#comment-75 @jeffrey I agree that human psychology can be strange. The good thing about Robert Cialdini's book is that it emphasizes that certain behavior, such as doing what other people are doing, works quite well most of the time. But not all the time. So, as you say, "we need to stop thinking of ourselves as a giant mass where everything is always someone else’s responsibility." @Patrick, Thank you for sharing your recent example and for adding: "...don't only use this info when you are a victim of an accident. Use it, whenever you see that help is needed also." Your experience shows that all it takes is one person who stops to help. @jeffrey
I agree that human psychology can be strange. The good thing about Robert Cialdini’s book is that it emphasizes that certain behavior, such as doing what other people are doing, works quite well most of the time. But not all the time. So, as you say, “we need to stop thinking of ourselves as a giant mass where everything is always someone else’s responsibility.”

@Patrick,
Thank you for sharing your recent example and for adding: “…don’t only use this info when you are a victim of an accident. Use it, whenever you see that help is needed also.”

Your experience shows that all it takes is one person who stops to help.

]]> By: Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com http://agemyths.com/2009/10/22/how-to-save-your-own-life-or-some-one-elses/#comment-74 Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:35:21 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=735#comment-74 Madeleine, this is an important article. I've witnessed an accident myself recently. And while I pulled over and helped the person get out of their car - others where just passing by, as you said. I had to command people to do several thinks, since the victim couldn't do it at that time. And once I commanded 2 people, other where also stopping by. So don't only use this info when you are a victim of an accident. Use it, whenever you see that help is needed also. Thank you for bringing this up. Madeleine,

this is an important article. I’ve witnessed an accident myself recently. And while I pulled over and helped the person get out of their car – others where just passing by, as you said. I had to command people to do several thinks, since the victim couldn’t do it at that time. And once I commanded 2 people, other where also stopping by.

So don’t only use this info when you are a victim of an accident. Use it, whenever you see that help is needed also.

Thank you for bringing this up.

]]> By: Jeffrey Tang http://agemyths.com/2009/10/22/how-to-save-your-own-life-or-some-one-elses/#comment-72 Jeffrey Tang Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:52:38 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=735#comment-72 A very, very interesting article, Madeleine. Human psychology is really a strange thing sometimes, especially when groupthink gets involved. I guess it's just another reason why being an individual, taking responsibility as an individual, and seeing others as unique individuals is so important. It's somewhat ironic that, in order to create a healthy society, we need to stop thinking of ourselves as a giant mass where everything is always someone else's responsibility. Tweeted the post :) worth reading! A very, very interesting article, Madeleine. Human psychology is really a strange thing sometimes, especially when groupthink gets involved. I guess it’s just another reason why being an individual, taking responsibility as an individual, and seeing others as unique individuals is so important.

It’s somewhat ironic that, in order to create a healthy society, we need to stop thinking of ourselves as a giant mass where everything is always someone else’s responsibility.

Tweeted the post :) worth reading!

]]> By: Madeleine Kolb http://agemyths.com/2009/10/22/how-to-save-your-own-life-or-some-one-elses/#comment-71 Madeleine Kolb Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:20:41 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=735#comment-71 Anastasiya, Thank you for your comment. The vivid examples are all from Dr. Cialdini's book, and they really are "made to stick." You raise a very good point about people passing by someone who is incapacitated and can't ask for help. I've heard other examples, including the case of a young man with Type 1 diabetes who went into a diabetic coma and collapsed in a park. He lay there for hours while many people walked by. I believe that we should get help for someone who needs it for whatever reason and pray that someone will do the same for us should we need it. Anastasiya, Thank you for your comment. The vivid examples are all from Dr. Cialdini’s book, and they really are “made to stick.”

You raise a very good point about people passing by someone who is incapacitated and can’t ask for help. I’ve heard other examples, including the case of a young man with Type 1 diabetes who went into a diabetic coma and collapsed in a park. He lay there for hours while many people walked by.

I believe that we should get help for someone who needs it for whatever reason and pray that someone will do the same for us should we need it.

]]> By: Anastasiya http://agemyths.com/2009/10/22/how-to-save-your-own-life-or-some-one-elses/#comment-73 Anastasiya Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:05:35 +0000 http://sixtyplusplace.com/?p=735#comment-73 It was a very helpful article Madeleine. The examples you gave are so vivid in my head now that I can't stop thinking about them. I remember a similar situation when I lived in Ukraine. One of my neighbors had a stroke and he fell near the tree. I haven't seen him but later I heard a few of my neighbors talking about this accident. At least 10 people passed by and nobody offered him help because everybody thought that he was drunk and didn't want to interfere. This is a disturbing fact because very often we are so scared to get involved that we forget the consequences of our indecisiveness to other people. Your indecisiveness can cause somebody life or health. I really hope that nothing like this will happen to me or to people I know but I will definitely remember the advice that you have given in this post. It was a very helpful article Madeleine. The examples you gave are so vivid in my head now that I can’t stop thinking about them. I remember a similar situation when I lived in Ukraine. One of my neighbors had a stroke and he fell near the tree. I haven’t seen him but later I heard a few of my neighbors talking about this accident. At least 10 people passed by and nobody offered him help because everybody thought that he was drunk and didn’t want to interfere. This is a disturbing fact because very often we are so scared to get involved that we forget the consequences of our indecisiveness to other people. Your indecisiveness can cause somebody life or health. I really hope that nothing like this will happen to me or to people I know but I will definitely remember the advice that you have given in this post.

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