Unfortunately, so many people are still of the mindframe that "it's not my business". I saw a similar study, probably by Dateline as well, involving an abusive babysitter berating a child. I was stunned by the lack of reaction from surrounding observers. Oh sure, everyone stared on in object horror and muttered to themselves, but only a few did anything. One was a grandfather, another a strong-willed woman who had no problem leaving the sitter shaking from her rebuke, but the one I found most interesting was a therapist. She handled the situation incredibly.

As for the others...they were interviewed by Dateline and shown footage. The common thread in their responses "I didn't feel comfortable butting in to their I thought someone else would do something."

And yes, by far, the number of men that reacted was lower than the number of women. In my mind, it's because men tend to minimize the seriousness of things. Poor excuse, I know, but it's all I could come up with.

__________________
Though I am different from you,
We were born involved in one another.

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.

Complete surrender should not just come at moments in which one faces overwhelming odds, but in the calm when it seems one is personally in complete control of one's life.