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This is a very common reaction called "bystander effect". (1) Cialdini explains it very well in his book "Influence". Despite thinking that we are perfectly lo

This is a very common reaction called "bystander effect". (1) Cialdini explains it very well in his book "Influence". Despite thinking that we are perfectly logical, we often look at others and look for social proof to decide what the appropriate behavior for a situation is. So, when nobody is acting, we don't either. This is subconscious, it's not a rational decision. This lasts until we receive instructions on what to do, which allows us to break out of the effect. That is why in streets accidents, instead of asking for generic help, it is better to ask people to call an ambulance. I suspect that the passengers that intervened did so only after the attendant explicitly asked for help. And even after that, the effect was probably still so strong that most passengers stayed in their seats. (1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

toomuchtodo 9y ago
This is why when an emergency is occurring, someone must assume command and delegate tasks. Not "someone call for help!" But point at someone and say "call for help now", point at someone else and say "do this action now". The more you know
- odammit 9y ago
  They teach that in CPR training for the exact reason. Otherwise people just rubberneck to watch someone die. In this case the flight attendant should have said "You in seat 1A perform the eye gauge" Edit: s/stewardess/flight attendant Is stewardess "politically incorrect?"
  - rdl 9y ago
    I don't think there's anything wrong with calling a specific flight attendant who is female a stewardess. It's wrong to call the entire cabin crew "stewardesses" because there are some male (although not the majority), and thus it's gendering a job unfairly. Purser, steward, etc. are part of the actual titles on some airlines, as a type of rank/position. I'd care more about the individual upgrade to "flight attendant" vs. "steward/stewardess" based on level of professionalism if they were actually competent and professional, which is not particularly supported by the evidence on US domestic airlines. Flight attendant or cabin crew is more convenient to use when referring to groups, still. (Crew chief or loadmaster are the true professionals in this space...)

toomuchtodo 9y ago

This is why when an emergency is occurring, someone must assume command and delegate tasks. Not "someone call for help!" But point at someone and say "call for help now", point at someone else and say "do this action now". The more you know

odammit 9y ago
They teach that in CPR training for the exact reason. Otherwise people just rubberneck to watch someone die. In this case the flight attendant should have said "You in seat 1A perform the eye gauge" Edit: s/stewardess/flight attendant Is stewardess "politically incorrect?"
- rdl 9y ago
  I don't think there's anything wrong with calling a specific flight attendant who is female a stewardess. It's wrong to call the entire cabin crew "stewardesses" because there are some male (although not the majority), and thus it's gendering a job unfairly. Purser, steward, etc. are part of the actual titles on some airlines, as a type of rank/position. I'd care more about the individual upgrade to "flight attendant" vs. "steward/stewardess" based on level of professionalism if they were actually competent and professional, which is not particularly supported by the evidence on US domestic airlines. Flight attendant or cabin crew is more convenient to use when referring to groups, still. (Crew chief or loadmaster are the true professionals in this space...)