I once read an interesting book entitled Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World, by Sam Sommers. It tells how where you are, who you're with and how you're feeling affects what you might or might not do. From why crowds of people can ignore an accident or a person in need, to the ways in which advertisers and charities get us to buy something, do something, or donate to a cause. And how to recognize it and combat it.
It made me wonder how often I have rationalized doing nothing (someone else will do something. No one else seems concerned) and explains why no one seems to notice if it's me who needs some help from strangers (it's happened on occasion). Hopefully, having read this, I'll be more aware of situations in which I might help, and know, if the occasion should arise, the best way to elicit help from a stranger.
However, I've found out that many of the tactics people use to get me to do what they want don't work on me. Send me address stickers along with a donation card? I'll happily and gratefully keep and use the stickers, but the card gets tossed unless it's a cause I can afford to give to and really care about, and if that's the case, I don't need "gifts" to get me to donate. Call me to ask what my political leanings are? I'll stall until I determine what side you're on, then will indicate I'm on your side. It's not that I'm that ambivalent - I usually have very strong opinions on most subjects and about the current crop of candidates for any office. I just don't want to bother defending those thoughts and feelings to annoying strangers who have called me at home and disturbed my day or evening. My daughter has told me that I mess up the polls when I give the answer the pollster wants, and to that I just smile and think, it serves them right!
