An event happened today that exemplifies compassionate action and performance while putting oneself at potentially great personal risk for the wellbeing of a stranger. There is an infamous social psychology case study of Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed multiple times in NY City, screaming for help until she died. Hundreds of people heard her and no one even called 911 much less tried to help her.

 

Today one of my colleagues, Dani Kimlinger, was driving down Kipling Street in the Denver area and heard a woman screaming for help on the side of the road. Cars kept driving by her. No one stopped, they all passed her by until Dani did stop.  The woman was a domestic violence victim. The perpetrator was walking toward the woman. Dani told him she was calling the police and he left. Dani then took the woman in her car until the police came. This was such a compassionate act on Dani’s part. She would never tell anyone about it in this way. It is similar to the righteous gentiles who took the Jews in and hid them from the Nazis during the holocaust, knowing they could die if the Nazis found out. We can all reflect on this and ask ourselves “what would we do?”

 

Thank you Dani for making the world better today because of your action and role modeling. I, for one, am grateful.

 

Please extend loving kindness and compassion to all you meet today!

Bob

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D., CEO & Psychologist