How many of you...
...would put yourselves in harm's way to help someone...or donate a significant amount of money to help out someone in financial distress...or attempt to influence someone's life for good even when that could jeopardize your life and your family relationships?
What if you weren't even positive that the person in question needed or wanted your help?
...
You can come up with plenty of similar situations, I'm sure. Maybe you've even been in some. Most of us have at some time in our lives. It's just interesting to ponder.
The other night as I was leaving work, around 11.30 p.m., I noticed a young lady who had pulled into the parking lot and was heaving everything out of her trunk onto the grass by the side of the lot. Assuming she had a flat tire and was looking for a spare, I cruised alongside her car slowly, wondering if I should offer help.
Horror stories from the news flashed through my mind...people robbed, beaten, or killed just because they tried to help out someone they thought was in distress...
I finally made up my mind to cautiously roll down my window and ask, "Do you need help?"
"NO!" she barked, taking a defensive stance. "No, I have Triple A and they'll be here shortly! I'm fine! Thanks anyway!"
"OK!" I replied in the same tone, a little miffed that she'd been so rude when I was just offering to help, and in fact stepping WAY out of my comfort zone to do so.
But the more I thought about it, I realized I would have reacted in a similar way. If I'd been her, I would have been terrified to be all by myself with a flat tire that late at night. I can't blame her at all.
It's a shame. Not only are people who need help scared out of their wits to ask anybody for assistance...but now others who could offer help are scared out of their wits to do so because it could be a potentially dangerous or even fatal trap.
And yet we have TV programs like "What Would You Do?" that put bystanders in situations like the ones I mentioned above, just to test them to see what they'll do. The program rewards the people who do "the right thing" and scolds the ones who don't -- or at least, the host speaks about them afterward in a very disappointed tone of voice, asking why more people don't step up to help those around them.
I know why. They're afraid.
So...how far would you go to help someone? What would you do?
posted by Jess @ 14:03
3 comments
3 Comments:
how much harm?
how much money?
how jeopardized?
just too vague an ethical dilemma for an old, grizzled (i like this word), frunken-lobed goob, to deal with.
up front contractual arrangements with perfect strangers are my modus operandi. i carry them with me everywhere. they are my kubotan and six-inch knife. very simple and elegant.
remember weedhopper, no good deed goes unpunished.
hew!
Too vague for you, SFL? But I thought you liked problems to solve! Why else would you be in the business you're in?
I wish I could carry a knife everywhere. Just slide it into my moccasin top and I'd be ready for anything. But alas, the modern world prevents this. Besides, I'd probably be lacking the quick-wittedness to use it even if I had it readily available.
However, if an old, grizzled (I also like this word), frunken-lobed goob can carry one, perhaps I could too.
Then I wouldn't be quite so terrified to offer help to strangers.
actually carrying knives is perfectly fine. better sew a pocket into that bearskin top of yours and you could use a kubotan to hold your hair up in those silly buns that overly strict librarians wear to intimidate geeky kids.
i only solve problems for pay. i'm a hired gun, mercenary-for-hire, hit man, assassin of metallurgical conundrums, and stuff like that. if there's no money then the problem goes unsolved. so send the high-dollar certified check and i'll work your problems.
hew!
ps - don't worry about the speed of your wits, that's what sawed-off shotguns are for...
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