"Individuals in Groups"

Mario Henriquez

Professor: Dr. Smith

“Prefer to be alone, instead of in groups”

What will you do if you are walking with your friends on the street, and see that someone needs help? Will you wait if some of your friends decide to help the other person or will you take the initiative immediately to help? In the passage of “Individuals in Groups,” by Carol Tavris who claims that, people tend to act different when they are in group or alone. As an example from the passage, if a person observes some disaster or someone in dangerous, that person who observes what is happening will call immediately for help. In contrast, if that person was in a group of three or four will wait until see someone who takes the quick action. Tavris says that, these actions psychologists called: “diffusion of responsibility” or “social loafing,” which means to leave the responsibility to another person, especially if you are in group and suppose to cooperate. I consider that, people who are in group should help also because not only one person could help and handle everything.

In my last semester, when I was taking a critical thinking class. My professor gave us an assignment to work out in groups of four. The assignment was to read a quote, discuss it and choose the best answer from the person of your group, and also one person has to come up at front and explain that quote. The group that I was in, were of three not of four. We were reading the quote and, as soon as, they saw me reading and writing some note. The two of them asked me, what I wrote. I told them what I wrote and I asked them also what they did but they did not write anything. They told me that, they were tired and feel not to have any ideas. I had to do all the assignment, come up at front and explain the quote. I felt a little bit upset because I was tired also like them, and I tried my best to do the assignment and the rest of the two, did not do help me. My explanation from the quote was used as group but if one person at least helps me, we will work together as a group not like individual.

Another case that I experienced doing things alone was where I live. In the building, at the end of the hallway, they were a group of teenager of five smoking weed. In that area, where they were smoking, they have people living there around four apartments, including mine. Every day, when I used to come to my apartment, they were outside in the hallway, smoking weed and that bad smell was going into my apartment. One day, I took the elevator and my neighbors were there. They were complaining about those teenagers, smoking weed. I told them, why you have not complain to the superintendent or the landlord. They told me that, they do not have time to see them or talk to them. I told them that, I was tired of see those guys and also tired of having my apartment smelling like a weed plantation. They, my neighbors, laugh and did not say anything. They just went inside of their apartment. Next day morning, I was in my room, it was around nine. I smell weed inside of my room. I immediately woke up very upset, I opened the door and see those guys smoking in the hallway. I told them very upset that if they want to smoke to do it outside because the smell goes inside of my apartment. They said to me, sorry. I guess that, my neighbors heard me, when I was speaking with those teenager because they were gossip in the building with other neighbors , saying that how I reacted so early in the morning and argued with the teenagers who were smoking in the hallway and stopped to hang around there. In the afternoon, I met one of my neighbor and told her that, some of the people who live on my same floor was gossip( talking about me) because I went out of my apartment and speak up against of those guys who were smoking weed in the hallway. I also told her that, it is crazy that we all pay rent and live on the same floor plus we know each other and not of them speak up against of those guys smoking weed or stopped them. They had to wait until someone do something, instead of create a union and speak against of those actions because I did it today, but you do not know if tomorrow  they will come back and do the samething because it was only one person who spoke but if all of us speak, we will do a major difference.

In conclusion, work or do things alone is not fair, if everyone put a little bit of help will be fantastic. The passage of “Individuals in Groups,” was very interesting to read about and I will recommend anybody to read it.