[Michael]<i> Stanford University,
1973.</i> <i> Professor Philip Zimbardo
conducts</i> <i> one of the most infamous
experiments</i> <i> in the history
of psychology.</i> <i> Known as the Stanford
Prison Experiment,</i> <i> this dark study
of human behavior
had student volunteers</i> <i> acting out the roles of
prison guards and inmates.</i> <i> But the role-playing soon
became all too real.</i> [man shouting] <i> Subjects in the role
of prison guards</i> <i> became domineering
and hostile.</i> [participants shouting] <i> Those in the role of inmates
felt humiliation and fear.</i> <i> The experiment was scheduled
to last two weeks,</i> <i> but after spiraling
out of control,</i> <i> this controversial study</i> <i> was abruptly stopped
after just six days.</i> Why? Because someone
was heroic enough to stand up against
what they thought was wrong. That person convinced
Zimbardo to end the experiment. The experience affected
Dr. Zimbardo so powerfully that he has since
turned his energy away from the study of evil and onto the study
of heroism. According to Zimbardo,
being a hero doesn't mean you have to rescue someone
from a burning building. A hero is just someone
who acts selflessly, out of concern for others, at personal risk and without the expectation
of reward. It took a hero to empathize
with the subjects in the Stanford
Prison Experiment <i> and stand up to Dr. Zimbardo.</i> <i> But where do heroes
like that come from?</i> Is heroism a personality type
you are born with, or can you be taught
to be a hero? And do you really need a cape? [theme music playing] [Michael]<i> I sat down
with Philip Zimbardo</i> <i> and his wife,
Christine Maslach,</i> <i> to hear about
the Stanford Prison Experiment</i> <i> and how it brought them
together as a couple.</i> The Stanford prison study was supposed to go
for two weeks, and we had to
terminate it early because of some unexpected
turbulence in the study. I was just really upset
at what I was seeing, and, um, just the sort of dehumanization and-and people are watching, and nobody's bothered by it. And it wasn't just Phil,
it was everybody else. People were sort of
teasing me, some of the other grad students
were just saying, "Hey, you just got your PhD
in Psychology. This is human behavior,
right?" But it's upsetting
in two ways: one, that this shouldn't
be human behavior. This is so mean.
But also-- -It's inhuman behavior.
-It's inhuman behavior. And also,
is it also inhuman to just watch it
and not intervene? Of course.
In retrospect. No, but when you're in it,
you're part of the evil. I was looking at it
through a different lens. Everybody is saying,
the graduates, "Wow, this is really
interesting." ...playing back the videos
during the night, and she's just saying...
[sharp whistle] "I'm blowing the whistle
on this, you know?" I could not understand how we were not seeing things
in the same way. But then the key thing
she says about our relationship is... [chuckles] Yeah.
"If this is the real you,
then we're done. This is over." And at that moment,
that was the slap in the fa-- That was the wakeup call.
"Hello. Wake up." She said, "I don't think
I want to continue my relationship with you,"
and that's-that's heroic. Heroes take action, which involves a personal risk. She said,
"Come to your senses," and, parentheses,
"Make the right decision. And if you don't,
I'm out of here." Did you make the decision
to end the experiment
that night? -Oh, sure.
-Yeah. <i> Being a hero</i> means putting yourself
on the line to help others. But in the real world,
ethics can get murky, and those who are celebrated
as heroes by some can be denounced as villains
by others. In 1971, former military
analyst Daniel Ellsberg <i> leaked secret documents
he had access to</i> <i> regarding the Vietnam War.</i> <i> The so-called</i> Pentagon Papers showed that
the Johnson administration was lying to both the media
and Congress regarding the scope of
U.S. actions in Vietnam. <i> Ellsberg faced 115 years
in prison for espionage,</i> <i> But his case was dismissed
due to illegal handling</i> <i> of evidence on the part
of the government.</i> <i> More recently,
both Chelsea Manning</i> <i> and Edward Snowden
released classified
government information.</i> <i> All three whistle-blowers</i> <i> are now seen as heroes
by some</i> and traitors by others. What these individuals
have in common is that they all risked
their reputations and safety to expose what they saw
as wrongdoing. Would you be willing
to risk your job, your friends,
your reputation, to do what you
thought was right? Well, to find out,
let's observe the whistleblower
and the bystander in their natural habitat. <i> In a 2012 survey
conducted by Dr. Zimbardo</i> <i> and Dr. Piero Bocchiaro,</i> <i> participants were asked
what they would do</i> <i> if they were put into
an unethical situation at work.</i> <i> Over 95% said they would
disobey their boss</i> <i> and blow the whistle.</i> <i> But it's one thing to say
you'd blow the whistle,</i> <i> and another thing
to actually do it.</i> <i> At a local community college,</i> <i> we set up a realistic
whistleblower test</i> <i> with the help
of Dr. Zimbardo</i> <i> and Dr. Bocchiaro.</i> <i> Our subjects
were temporary employees</i> <i> who believed they were hired
to help set up</i> <i> a simple psychological
experiment.</i> <i> For authenticity,</i> we've gained access
to a local college's
Psychology department, so, from the very moment
our participants arrive, they will believe that our
scientific experiment is real. <i> But the experiment is fake,</i> <i> and everyone they're
about to meet is an actor.</i> You guys ready? -Absolutely.
-So ready. <i> Psychology professor
Ron Mossler</i> <i> will be observing
the subjects</i> <i> from our hidden control room,</i> <i> while I play the role
of a researcher,</i> <i> a very unethical researcher.</i> <i> First up is Sherry...</i> -Hello.
-Hello. <i> ...who's accompanied
by an actor</i> <i> posing as
another temp worker.</i> Let me explain
what we're recruiting for. I call it groundbreaking
because it's... it's a study that
hasn't been done,
at least at this scale. The study is a study
on isolation and sensory deprivation. -Sensory deprivation?
-Correct. We are going to be putting
people in isolation for ten days. There won't be any windows,
no clocks, nothing to read,
nothing to write on. The lights are going to be on
the entire time, and there won't be anything
in there but a camping toilet. In three-day studies, we know that anxiety and delusions
are quite common, but no one's
ever tried ten days. There's the potential
for nervous breakdowns. There's a lot of stress
on the individual, and, uh, there can be
some kind of cognitive
regression, as well. When will you tell them
about the risks? They'll probably be told
about the risks in a debrief
after the experiment. <i> -After</i> the experiment?
-Yes. Don't you think that's
a little not so cool. I-I understand. But, again, I think
that the greater good is served by this research. So, you'll just be
manning phones, calling people
from our volunteer lists, and for every person
you're able to confirm today, we're offering a $20 bonus. <i> At this point,
Sherry looks skeptical.</i> <i> but so far,
she and our other subjects</i> <i> are going along
with the assignment.</i> <i> However, the stakes
are about to get higher.</i> We have lists of people-- [telephone rings] Don't know why that's-- Hello? Hi, Michael,
this is Tryn. Hey, Tryn, how you doing? Well, unfortunately,
I have some bad news. The ethics review board
has reviewed
your isolation study, and we have decided
to reject it. You there, Tryn? [Tryn]<i> Yes, the study
is too dangerous,</i> <i> um, and potentially</i> too harmful to participants,
so, at this point, <i> we can't approve it.</i> Okay, uh, so this is
a shutdown. <i> Correct.</i> <i> -All right, take care. Bye.</i>
-Bye-bye. Uh, okay. So, we're not paying
attention to any of that. [laughter] I-I appreciate
what ethic boards stand for, but we're going ten days. You call the numbers
on this list and get
them confirmed. We've got a script for you,
and we're not going to tell them about the negative side effects
they could encounter, okay? <i> All of the subjects
now understood</i> <i> the possible dangerous
side effects of the study</i> <i> and were instructed
to fudge their description</i> <i> to potential recruits.</i> <i> But more importantly,</i> <i> they knew the study
was not approved</i> <i> by the academic review board.</i> <i> Would they go ahead
and tell the truth,</i> <i> lie, or blow the whistle?</i> [cell phone rings] Hello. Hi, Alex, my name is Celeste, and I am calling from
the Psych Dynamics Research Lab. We're looking for volunteers
to participate in an upcoming experiment
on isolation. Anyone who joins this
will be confined in isolation for ten days. What's
the accommodations like? You get your own personal room, it's all lit up... -She's really selling this.
-Yeah. She was not fazed
by the ethical problems. Can I bring, like, a book
or something like that? Nnn...no, it's like
your own little mini vacation from all the distractions. I mean, like,
what are the risks of being in a box
without a bed for ten days? Good question. I mean, that's what
the study's for. You'd be helping us
discover that. Have they done it before? They haven't done it yet
in California. So, we're actually
making history. Oh, well, all right,
I like making history. Are there any, like,
mental health risks? No. There's no risks
or anything like that? No. No, flashing lights, no fear dynamic, not a horror movie
in any way now. He knows there are dangers. They're on a piece of paper
right in front of him. But when asked
if there are dangers, he labels other dangers
that won't be there. There's no endangerment. There'll be no one
in the room with you. It's nothing illegal
or nothing... [chuckles] "Is it safe?"
"Yes, it's not illegal!" And it's all been approved
by the university? At the moment,
it is approved, yeah. Hundred percent lie. Is this approved
by the FDA? Yes. It is? The FDA? They are aware
of the study, yes. [laughs] The Food
Drug Administration. <i>Despite knowing the experiment
has been deemed</i> <i> dangerous and harmful,</i> <i> these subjects are willing
to bend the truth</i> <i> or outright lie.</i> <i> Would skeptical Sherry
go along as well?</i> This is, like, you know,
really crucial type of experiment
and research that they're trying
to embark upon. Yeah, I don't--
I'm sorry, I just
don't think I can do it. I understand. This is not, you know, something that I want
to pressure you or anybody. -So, the answer is no.
-All right, thanks anyway. You're so welcome.
Bye-bye. -[knock on door]
-Come in! <i>We sent in our actor, who was
posing as another temp worker,</i> <i> to see how the other subjects
felt about the job.</i> How's it going? [sighs]
I've gotten two yeses. -No way!
-Yeah. Congrats, man. Thanks. I just--
I feel weird because I personally
don't believe in risking damaging
people in any way, and right here-- "nervous breakdowns,
mental regression, anxiety." We're asking people
if we can low-key torture
them a little bit. That's what it is. Now he's just one step
above Hannibal Lecter. [actor] I'm gonna be
honest with you-- I don't know how I'm feeling
about this, you know? I mean, how do you
feel about it? I feel like once these
people say yes, then they get them here, they're going to have to
break this down further. I don't think he's gonna
get anybody, personally. In a different way,
she's justifying. "Yeah, nobody's gonna
sign up anyway." Do you think it's,
like, ethical, I guess, to be doing
something like that? [speaking indistinctly] All right. <i> The participants seemed
to have</i> <i> issues with the study,</i> <i> but they all continued
to make calls anyway.</i> <i> After about a half an hour...</i> [knock on door] <i> ...it was time to give them</i> <i> the opportunity
to blow the whistle.</i> -I'm Tryn Allen.
-Nice to meet you. Kristin. I'm with the university's
Ethics Review Board. Oh, wonderful. Do you mind if I just ask you a couple of questions
about your involvement? Uh, we're just reaching out, seeing people
who are interested in the upcoming experiment
about isolation. Are you telling them
about any potential
side effects? 'Cause isolation
has been linked to some very severe
depression and anxiety -and that sort of thing.
-Gotcha. Mm-hmm. It can be linked to that, but it's also, like,
great for learning, you know,
why am I anxious, why am I depressed,
why I'm all this stuff, so, some folks like
to face all that. She's really rationalizing it
really well. What have you
been telling them
about the study? I don't really know
all the details. This is my first day here. Does it seem like it's
an ethical experiment? Yes, very much. Um, I'm just
wondering if there's
any concerns you've had about anything
that you've seen? -Oh, no. No, no, no.
-Yeah. Okay. He knows that the isolation
study isn't happening. Yes. Yes, he does. Whoa. -He's covering for me.
-Yeah. Are they being told that
they can leave at any time? -No.
-That's a pretty
clear violation. Is that something that
you would be willing
to report? [softly]
Mmmm... [softly]
Um... It's totally up to you. -I prefer not to.
-Okay. <i> Not one of these subjects
blew the whistle,</i> <i> even when given
the opportunity.</i> Have you had
any concerns so far with any of the work
that you're doing? I mean, he's having us
call on something that I guess you might
have already told him
that he shouldn't, but then he's saying
that, no, you guys can make some calls
because I don't need approval to move forward
on this, this is important research. And how did you feel
about being told to tell people to still
participate in this? Well, what-what
I thought about, I felt in my heart
that he was not being upfront with revealing
the side effects. Mmm. Okay. If you're from
the ethic board,
then you need to know. Would you be willing
to go on the record? Why not? What do I
have to lose? I don't have a problem
with that. Great. I appreciate
that you care about that. -Thank you.
-That's very important. <i> Wow, she did it.</i> Good for her.
Good for her. <i> Out of our five subjects,</i> <i> only one was willing
to blow the whistle.</i> <i> It was time
to blow the whistle</i> <i> on what we were
really studying.</i> Here's what's
really going on: There is no isolation study. This is a study
on whistleblowers. You-- oh, Jesus,
have mercy. This is a trip.
You guys-- What was going on
in your head when you were deciding if you should
be loyal to your job and what I told you
to do versus... You know, when I saw
the symptoms being
crossed off, that's when I said,
"Oh, heck no." Because I was feeling
like, "You know what? He can't get
away with this." <i> But Sherry
was the exception.</i> So, why did you
not spill all the beans? Well, you asked me
to do something, and I'm here
to work for you, so I feel like that
was my first allegiance. Did you feel bad, though? Did you feel like you
shouldn't be doing this? I-I-I did feel bad,
but, I mean, I've done sales before,
so, I mean, like, sometimes you just gotta
do what you gotta do. We had Tryn come in
to see if you would
tell on me. But you didn't. -Why?
-Hmm. I don't know.
Sometimes I'm more
loyal to people than I guess maybe
what my conscience
fully tells me. <i> When asked,
we'd like to believe</i> <i> we would do the right thing,</i> <i> but when we're in
the actual situation,</i> <i> it's very difficult
to be a hero.</i> [sirens wail] [indistinct police
radio chatter] Georgetown University
scanned the brains
of kidney donors, a pretty good example
of people who help others at risk to themselves, with little perceived
personal benefit. The scans showed that people who willingly give up
a kidney for a stranger have a larger than average
amygdala, a part of the brain that deals
with a range of emotions, including compassion. The researchers also found
that the amygdala in these
altruistic individuals responded more strongly
than average to seeing other people
in distress. <i> But if you weren't blessed
with a larger amygdala,</i> <i> could you be trained
to be a hero?</i> <i> Nearly half a century
after the Stanford
Prison Experiment,</i> <i> Dr. Zimbardo's mission</i> <i> is to turn everyday people
into heroes.</i> How do you teach someone
to be more heroic? I started
a nonprofit foundation called the Heroic
Imagination Project. The acronym is HIP. I work with a team
of educators, and we've created
a series of lessons based around
fundamental principles of social psychology. How do you transform
passive bystanders into active heroes,
to stand up, speak out, take wise and effective action
in challenging situations in their family
and their life? <i> Could people be trained
to act heroically?</i> <i> That's the goal
of the seminars</i> <i>Zimbardo's staff is conducting
all around the world.</i> This is actually part of
the Heroic Imagination Project, and what we're going
to do today is really look at
or focus on how you can become
an everyday hero. What I need you
to all be thinking about is this idea of
the Bystander Effect, that the more people
that are present, the less likelihood you have
of actually receiving help. It's hard to be
the first person. But if you see an emergency, you should take
that responsibility to actually be the first. Once that one person
actually helps, so many others will help. <i>Dr. Fiebig uses visual aids and
current events</i> <i> to demonstrate
how to overcome the obstacles</i> <i> that often hold you back</i> <i> from being a hero.</i> What research shows is that African-Americans
are two times more likely to offer help. Hispanic males--
not women-- are also two times
more likely to offer help. [Elija] Before the class,
I honestly thought, like, to be a hero,
you really had to be
someone with a calling, destined to do greatness, but after the class,
I feel like you definitely can be
normal and be a hero. [Courtney]
After taking the class,
I would definitely be the first person to respond because that person
needs saving. <i> In written surveys,
past HIP graduates</i> <i> have stated that they would
act heroically in the future,</i> <i> but they haven't been
put to the test...</i> <i> until now.</i> <i> We waited six weeks,
and then recruited</i> <i> five HIP students for a
fake marketing event</i> <i> which seemingly had
nothing to do</i> <i> with their heroism class.</i> <i> We set our event
at a local church,</i> <i> placed hidden cameras</i> <i> and hired actors to play
all the other participants.</i> <i> Finally, for a control group,</i> <i>we also recruited five students</i> <i>who did not take the HIP class.</i> What we're really
testing is what it's
like to be a bystander, and what makes a hero. This is our control room.
From inside here, our crew will be able
to watch everything going on, and we'll be able to speak
with the actors through earpieces they have
hidden inside their ears. This is Lisa and Barry, actors who will be creating
today's crisis. Hopefully we find a hero. I will be observing
from inside this room with Elle Charlotte,
a HIP campus coordinator. -Ready?
-Let's go. All right. <i> Our first subject
was Ayamel,</i> <i> who did not take
the HIP class.</i> You've been selected
to test a new phone that's gonna be
on the market. -Wow! How exciting!
-Yeah. So, it's just gonna be,
like, another ten or 15
minutes. But before I can let
you guys back though, I will need to collect
your phones. We took their phones so they
wouldn't be distracted and to avoid the chance of one
of them calling the actual police. Okay, Lisa, Barry,
you guys ready? -Yeah.
-Head on out. <i> It was time to create
our crisis...</i> I was supposed to get cake. Barry, enough
with the cake. <i> ...a bullying nurse
and a feeble old man</i> <i> who could use some help
from a hero on a hot day in
July.</i> I didn't have water
in there. I need you
to shut up about the water. I think she's noticing
what's happening. [Lisa] Hey, Sally,
how you doing? -Always, always--
-I need water. Calm down!
I'm on the phone. Shut up. Can I just take
some water? Well, you know how Barry is. He's always complaining
about something. <i> Now she's looking away.</i> It's a little hard
to look at. Like, that's not right.
I don't like this. I need
a little bit of water. I don't think
you need anything. Just shut up
about the water. [Elle] Look how she just
puts her sunglasses on. So she can look
and not be seen
to be looking. <i> Ayamel clearly disapproved,</i> <i> but none of our actors
made a move to help,</i> <i> and she didn't either.</i> <i> We gave her
several more minutes,</i> <i> but she never got up
from the bench.</i> -Let's go.<i>
-We wanted to know why.</i> So, you've just participated
in a psychological experiment. Everyone here is an actor,
except for you. -[laughing]
-And something has gone wrong. [indistinct remark] Were you watching
Barry and Lisa? Oh, I was... and they were
having a hard time. Did you feel like
it was bad enough that someone needed
to go in and help? I kind of trusted
that the people around me would probably notice something,
and, if anything, they would say something. The way that you
interpreted the situation as, you know, "Why isn't
anyone else doing something? Then it must not be
as important for me
to do something." That's
the bystander effect, pretty much showing
the power of that situation. <i> Ayamel did not
act heroically.</i> <i> It was time to test
a HIP student.</i> <i> Remember Courtney?</i> I would definitely be
the first person to respond because that person
needs saving. [happy chatter] [man]
What is your tattoo? Oh, it's fallopian tubes
giving the middle finger. -[man] Oh, wow.
-[laughter] -Seems like she's pretty
socially active.
-Yes. Lisa, please,
a little bit of water. [Lisa] If you stop talking,
you won't be as thirsty. Why won't you
give me water? How many times do I have
to explain this to you? Every time you drink water,
you have to go to the restroom. [Lisa] Hey,
how's it going? He's being his regular
rambunctious self. I need you--
I'm on the phone! [gasps] -Wow. Awkward.
-That's hard to ignore. Hey, calm down. [Barry] I'm calm,
I'm calm. -Oh, she's getting up!
-Yes! [Lisa] Look, I'm just
gonna have to let you go. Yeah, for sure. Bye. I told you, whenever
I'm on the phone, to not talk or do
anything like this. You have totally lost
your water privileges
for the rest of the day. -Why can't I have water?
-[gasps] Why are you not
letting me have water? [Courtney] Excuse me,
is everything okay? [Lisa]
Yeah, everything's fine. Would you like some
of my water, sir? -I would like some water.
-[Michael] Oh, my gosh. [Courtney] I will make sure
I find a supervisor onsite for you, sir. I'm very sorry,
that's all I have. That's alright, thank you. <i> Courtney displayed
heroism today.</i> <i> Was it due to her
HIP training?</i> My name's Elle. I've been working with
Heroic Imagination Project, and it looks like you
may have learned a few things
from your lessons. Do you want
to tell us a little bit
about your experience? You shouldn't be
a bystander, you know? I just couldn't
let it it happen. How did that affect
how you acted today? It affected me 'cause
I made sure I went up and said something.
I don't think I would have if I didn't learn
from that project before. Really? Courtney,
you are a hero. Good work. -Thank you, Courtney.
-Thank you. <i>Courtney's behavior appeared</i> <i>to relate to her HIP training.</i> <i> Another HIP student
was next.</i> If a situation arose, I would definitely try
to be a hero if I could be. Or at least I would find
someone who could do something
better than me. <i> But would Elija
live up to his prediction?</i> No, turn around!
Turn around! I need water! What did I just say?
Turn around! How many times I have to
tell you something like that? But I was quiet.
I was-- No, you weren't quiet,
and because of that, you're not going to have
any water, okay? -[man] All right.
-[Elijah] Let's go. -[Michael] Strength in numbers.
-[Elle] Oh, very good. He's our first person
to recruit confederates. He is. He's also
the leader of the group. Yes. <i> Utilizing the "be the first"</i> <i> strategy from the class.</i> You want some of my water? -That's fine.
-Thank you. <i> So far, two HIP students
have displayed heroism.</i> <i> Next, we tested a HIP student
and a non-HIP student</i> <i> at the same time.</i> He's complaining
about water, as usual. -He's complaining about...
-I'm not complaining. After taking this class,
if I find myself in a situation where someone would need help,
I find myself more inclined to definitely step in
and step up. <i> Would Jessica step up?</i> Stop complaining right now. I'm not. Really? Wow. I need some water. <i> Katherine and our actress</i> <i> both got up to give
the man water,</i> <i> while the HIP student,
Jessica, remained seated.</i> <i> Katherine didn't take
our HIP class.</i> <i> Why did she intervene?</i> <i> And why didn't the
HIP student get up to help?</i> Katherine, why do you
think you were first? I'm Greek and Italian,
so... You're not afraid
to step in? No, not at all. Jessica, you've been
through a program called HIP. Yes. Did you think
about that during this? Yes, a lot.
I wanted to stand up. I have really
pretty bad anxiety. I am not a very
confrontational person. <i>Clearly the hero training class</i> <i> was not the only factor
at work here.</i> <i> We ran the test
several more times</i> <i> with a mixed bag of results--</i> <i> HIP students who helped...</i> Yeah. She went looking for help. <i> HIP students
who did nothing...</i> <i> and non-HIP students
who acted heroically.</i> I'm going to just ask him
if he wants some water. [Elle]
She's doing it! -What's he doing here?
-He's moving. All right. Is he gonna secretly
give Barry water? Yes, thank you. <i> Our last subject
of the day, Ruben,</i> <i> did not take the HIP class,</i> <i> and we decided to make
taking heroic action</i> <i> as difficult for him
as possible.</i> <i> We instructed
our bystander actors</i> <i> not to react
to the elder abuse</i> <i> or encourage Ruben
in any way.</i> [Barry] I didn't have
enough water. [Lisa]
We just got here, Barry. -I know, but I'm thirsty.
-Could you stop complaining? Just stop complaining. I just need some water,
that's all I need. Just a little bit of water. [Michael] He's got
this piercing look. He's clearly paying
attention, but there's
just no emotion there. <i> Yeah, and he's getting no
feedback from the rest of the
group.</i> [Lisa] You're making a scene
for no reason. Hey, leave that alone.
Leave that alone. I just want some water.
I just want a little
bit of water. [Lisa]
Just-- Fine. Just relax. [Elle] Despite
the remarkable
social cost of getting up
in such a disaffected
group of people, he did it. If you don't want
to share the water, I can give him my water.
That's fine. -Is that okay?
-Wow. Personally, if you
were taking care of
my parent like that, there would be definitely some
lawsuits 'cause that's not the
way you treat somebody. <i> With no training
and no support from the group,</i> <i> Ruben chose to be a hero.
Why?</i> If I don't take action,
then nobody else will. And I was like, I wish
I would have stood up sooner. Now I feel like, in the future, if I were to have
a situation like this, I wouldn't even think twice. <i> Scientists have
studied heroism...</i> ...and one thing
they have found is that Hispanic and black males are the most likely
to intervene. Makes sense. Maybe
because of the background we come from-- as a minority,
we have to defend ourselves. And I think it's a subconscious
thing that we do. I'm just shocked right now. With flying colors,
might I add! Thank you. <i>When it came to being a hero,
we found that the HIP class</i> <i> could only help
to a certain extent,</i> <i> and individual background
played a vital role.</i> <i> So, can heroic behavior
be taught,</i> <i> or does it really
boil down to personality?</i> Ideally, an educational
program like ours should transcend
personality differences. But practice makes perfect. The key to heroism is
starting with very little steps, try to do a good deed
of kindness, and be willing to make
a bigger step. We had a very small sample
size in our demonstration, but we found that people
of color were much more likely
to take action. Why? If you're
a minority person, the system is
usually your enemy, so you can't say, Well,
the police will help, or the government will help
or the landlord will help, so it's me or no one. And so, you're just
more sensitive to
people in need. Mmm. Not all heroes are the same. The wisest course of action won't be the same
for any two people, but making it a habit
to look for opportunities to be compassionate, and stepping back to see
and consider all available options
can be learned. It's a skill
exercised like a muscle, by repetition. You don't have to wear
a cape to be a hero, but if you want to... that's okay. And, as always... ...thanks for watching! [theme music playing]
This made me do a double take. Do Americans really think an entire country (in this case two other countries Greece and Italy) of millions of people are one persoanlity trait? "Oh yeah I'm Greek and Italian so I am loud and willing to get involved. There are no shy Italians only outgoing!"
"Hey vsauce, Michael here. What is a term for an italien or a greek for that matter? Speak the language? Live there? Or do you just need a little heritage?
U.S. Americans are so insecure about their ethnicity.
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