09/11/2025
"It ... depends on who we see ourselves as being. Have we imagined ourselves as the hero?
It may sound silly, but what we imagine for ourselves can create a schema of behaviour, a mental model that provides us with a template for how to respond in a crisis. Schemas are incredibly important in fast-moving situations.
When our stress response is high, we lose the capacity to think rationally. The part of the brain that governs rational thought (the prefrontal cortex) receives less blood flow when we are in a highly stressful situation. So, instead we rely on other parts of the brain (notably the limbic system), responsible for things such as instincts, emotions, muscle memory and schemas. Having a pre-existing schema in place that includes us helping will go a long way towards creating that behaviour.
It also matters whether we have had experience of emergencies before. In my experience, emergency services and military personnel are often excellent in a crisis, because they have learned to quell the immediate stress response, calm themselves long enough to assess the situation and see what needs to be done. But anyone who has learned how to manage their own fear reaction can function well in a situation like this. The truth is, having survived previous crises is powerful learning for us. It tells us that we can experience terrible things, and we can survive.
Another factor is how closely a person identifies as someone who does good things. Some people spend a lot of time considering the value they add to the world. Other people don’t. If you do, you are more likely to want to help because that’s simply who you are."
