Why Do People Always Assume Someone Else Will Help?

A Familiar Scene in Singapore

You’re standing at an MRT platform when someone suddenly collapses. For a moment, silence fills the air. Dozens of people glance over, but no one moves. Some stare. Some look away. A few whisper, “Someone should call for help.”

But here’s the haunting truth: in many cases, nobody does.

This isn’t because Singaporeans don’t care. We do care. But in that split second, something powerful takes over, something psychologists call the bystander effect.

The Bystander Effect: Why We Wait for Others

The bystander effect is a psychological phenomenon where the presence of others reduces the likelihood of any one person stepping forward. The bigger the crowd, the stronger the effect.

Three things usually happen:

1. Diffusion of responsibility – “Someone else will do it.”

2. Social influence – “No one else is moving, maybe it’s not serious.”

3. Fear of judgment – “What if I do the wrong thing and embarrass myself?”

It’s not a lack of compassion, it’s human hesitation amplified by the group setting.

But What If You Were the One Who Collapsed?

Here’s the part that stings. Imagine it’s not a stranger on the floor, but you.

Would you want people to glance, hesitate, and hope “someone else” helps? Or would you hope that one person breaks the silence and acts?

The bystander effect is not just an abstract idea. It’s the line between waiting helplessly and receiving timely assistance.

Breaking the Freeze

So how do we overcome this invisible trap?

• Awareness – Simply knowing the bystander effect exists makes you less likely to fall into it.

• Ownership – Remind yourself: if you see something, you are the someone.

• Preparedness – People freeze because they feel uncertain. The more you know what to do, the less you hesitate.

More Than Just Helping, It’s About Confidence

Responding in an emergency isn’t only about saving someone else. It’s also about what it does for you.

Knowing how to act brings a kind of calm assurance. You feel safer in daily life. You walk with a quiet confidence that if something happens—in the MRT, in the hawker centre, or even at home, you won’t be paralysed by “what ifs.”

Final Thought: Be the One Who Acts

Singapore is safe. But safe doesn’t mean emergencies never happen. And when they do, the question is simple: will you wait for someone else, or will you step forward?

You don’t need to be a hero. You just need to be human.

Because in the moment that matters, the difference between life and loss is often just one person - one decision - to help.

And that person could be you.