Abduction of our self respect

As our society is increasingly faced with the dilemma of service to others or self indulgence you may find it instructive to ask yourself, what would you do in the face of an obvious and peculiar event?

The posted video link  shows individuals forcefully taken from their everyday lives, but virtually no one intervenes. The fact that the video has gotten over 7 million views tells us it's either really funny or really scary.  

We all think we know the answer, I don’t even need to ask the question. We all understand the level of self delusion that currently exists. We all know that we are preoccupied with our own lives to the point of almost total exclusion of the lives and safety of others.

In one short clip a young woman quickly moves her eyes back to her phone as if to say, “don’t bother me with your problems, I need to check my facebook status...”

In a strange and almost prophetic way the TV series Seinfeld portrayed this coming selfishness and captured the nation by its humorous events of self centeredness. Perhaps it was the tail wagging the dog but we have far exceeded the levels illustrated by the TV show. So would you save a child, a woman or a man from being kidnapped? Would your actions depend on the color of skin or any other variable that might sway your immediate intervention?

If you think really hard, you may want to be seated if this is a request out of the norm, about what you might do, are you certain about your intentions? Would you stand up and act? Would you drop what you are doing for the defense of another? Would you risk your safety for the life of another?

Regardless of the situation, a situation that is obviously out of the norm, where do you stand in relation to the others around you?

These are difficult questions for our day but they are essential in determining the outcome of our future. We make our decisions about life, who we make our friends, who we associate with, what we believe and pursue based on our ability to know what others around us will do in the face of danger.

I know it’s just a prank but the people watching did not know at the time. Most will be able to rationalize their non action through the prism of hindsight, telling themselves some untruth about their character that substantiates their perception of themselves, a perception that we can all see is false.

Character demands action in the face of difficulty. We are a nation devoid of character and morality and choose instead to rationalize our morality for the greater good of ourselves and our convenience. Let’s hope and pray that we soon realize the folly of our ways. It may be you that needs the help of another.