When we witness a noticeably bad action occurringhappen, we as people are faced with a fundamental decision. Do we avoid the problem or stand up and take action. All too frequently individuals make the conscious choice to remain a "bystander", separating themselves from the problems of others. Whether it be to remain part of a group, garner acceptance, avoid being targeted, for self-preservation, or simply for convenience, the conscious choice of inaction is a common occurrence. In literature, including The Ox-Bow Incident, Ted Talk: Violence Against Women; It’s a Men’s Issue, and A Busybody’s Guide to Improving the World, numerous examples are noted of what people do when faced with the choice of taking action or doing nothing, and the unintended
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First, we see how the need for acceptance directly influenced individual actions. In one example, the men were in constant fear of being seen as cowards by their own posse. So what did they do? They searched for ways to demonstrate courage while at the same time ensuring acceptance by their group. Croft said “Most men are more afraid of being thought cowards than of anything else, and a lot more afraid of being thought physical cowards than moral ones." (Clark, 62). In this statement Croft shows one underlying motivation of the lynch mob. The men's need to not be viewed as weak or cowardly by the other members of the mob, overrode their desire to show moral courage and question the actions of others. As a consequence they went along with the lynching, failing to search for evidence of innocence before doing so. In Ted Talk: Violence Against Women - It’s a Men's Issue, by Jackson Katz, we see the importance of taking an active stand to end gender discrimination, as well as the inadvertent consequences of failing to do so. Katz highlights the issue of men's power over women and the need for men to stand up with, and in support of, women, to challenge this antiquated notion. He …show more content…
Young Tetley said “We hunt in packs like wolves, hole up in warrens like rabbits. All the dirtiest traits. There’s a difference, we’ve got it over wolves and rabbits… we’re smart… all we use it for is power.”(Clark,100) Young Tetley noticed all the horrible and vicious fighting going on in the posse around him, and yet nobody did anything to stop it. He said that even though humans are such knowledgeable creatures, we aim to stay aligned to the most powerful force. We aim to go unnoticed and avoid being targeted. Tetley emphasized that everyone wants to be part of power so that they are not the target of the powerful force. Even though all the men noticed the horrible fighting, nobody went against it because nobody wants to be hunted or plotted against, so we align with power. The short story, A Busybody’s Guide to Improving the World, by Brigid Daull Brockway, highlights the impact of inaction, and its unintended consequences. In the passage, Brockway states:
When I was a teenageer, a man I knew killed his son and himself. On the TV news the neighbors were shocked that something like this would happen here, and they had no idea the family was in such trouble. It was a
First, we see how the need for acceptance directly influenced individual actions. In one example, the men were in constant fear of being seen as cowards by their own posse. So what did they do? They searched for ways to demonstrate courage while at the same time ensuring acceptance by their group. Croft said “Most men are more afraid of being thought cowards than of anything else, and a lot more afraid of being thought physical cowards than moral ones." (Clark, 62). In this statement Croft shows one underlying motivation of the lynch mob. The men's need to not be viewed as weak or cowardly by the other members of the mob, overrode their desire to show moral courage and question the actions of others. As a consequence they went along with the lynching, failing to search for evidence of innocence before doing so. In Ted Talk: Violence Against Women - It’s a Men's Issue, by Jackson Katz, we see the importance of taking an active stand to end gender discrimination, as well as the inadvertent consequences of failing to do so. Katz highlights the issue of men's power over women and the need for men to stand up with, and in support of, women, to challenge this antiquated notion. He …show more content…
Young Tetley said “We hunt in packs like wolves, hole up in warrens like rabbits. All the dirtiest traits. There’s a difference, we’ve got it over wolves and rabbits… we’re smart… all we use it for is power.”(Clark,100) Young Tetley noticed all the horrible and vicious fighting going on in the posse around him, and yet nobody did anything to stop it. He said that even though humans are such knowledgeable creatures, we aim to stay aligned to the most powerful force. We aim to go unnoticed and avoid being targeted. Tetley emphasized that everyone wants to be part of power so that they are not the target of the powerful force. Even though all the men noticed the horrible fighting, nobody went against it because nobody wants to be hunted or plotted against, so we align with power. The short story, A Busybody’s Guide to Improving the World, by Brigid Daull Brockway, highlights the impact of inaction, and its unintended consequences. In the passage, Brockway states:
When I was a teenageer, a man I knew killed his son and himself. On the TV news the neighbors were shocked that something like this would happen here, and they had no idea the family was in such trouble. It was a