Why We Act: Turning Bystanders into Moral Rebels

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By Catherine A. Sanderson *97

Published Feb. 24, 2020

Was there ever a time when you should have stepped in to help someone, but didn’t? In Why We Act: Turning Bystanders into Moral Rebels (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press), psychologist Catherine Sanderson *97 explores this phenomenon, and why it is so common, even in life threatening situations. Employing recent discoveries in psychology and neuroscience, Sanderson explains not only why we fail to act but also how we might reverse this phenomenon and more often help those in need.

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