In 1968, smoke poured into a room where volunteers were filling out a questionnaire. Alone, 75% raised the alarm; with two unbothered actors present, only 10%. But a 2020 analysis of 219 conflicts caught on CCTV in three countries tempers the bystander effect: someone intervened in 9 out of 10 cases, and more bystanders made help more likely.
Remembering is not replaying a recording — it is rebuilding. Each time you recall a memory, it becomes temporarily malleable and can be altered before being stored again. That is why two people can sincerely remember the same event… differently.
In 2003, Johnson and Goldstein compared European countries. Where you must tick a box to become a donor, consent rates ranged from 4% to 28%. Where you're a donor by default unless you opt out, they topped 85%. People aren't more generous on one side; most simply stick with whatever option was chosen for them.