My Memory in Psychology

Psychology influences every aspect of my life, everyday. It's how I sense and perceive my world. Two concepts in Psychology that I have always found interesting and will probably continue to remember for years to come are those of the bystander effect and mob mentality. I have always found it so disturbingly interesting when people form groups around someone getting beat up, obviously hurt, and no one steps in to help. Although many of the bystanders would never commit the violence themselves, I wonder if they think that it's okay to watch just as long as they aren't the ones inflicting pain. It boggles my mind seeing car accidents that we all just drive by without more than a glance and maybe a quick thought of the driver's wellbeing before we continue on our morning commute. Along with the bystander effect is it's evil twin, mob mentality. Think of a strike, things start calm with some innocent chanting and picketing. Soon after someone has pushed a boundary everyone pushes forward as well and often things get out of hand. The guy next to you wants to light a police car on fire, so you throw him a match or maybe even strike it. People do exactly what their morals probably tell them not to just because "everyone else is doing it." Everyone always hears "if so-and-so jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?" And of course, the common answer is no, of course not! Many of us like to think we aren't a part of the mob. But if we aren't a part of the mob when something bad happens, then are we merely a bystander?