Arthur Gordon in an article entitled "The Rewards of Caring," tells the story of how once, as a small boy, he was witness to a near-tragedy.
At the beach, a woman stepped off a sandbar into deep, swift water and panicked. At least 20 adults in bathing suits watched, apparently paralyzed, until suddenly a young man ran up, plunged in full-clothed and brought the woman out.
As Arthur Gordon described the episode later to his parents, his admiration for the young man was matched by the contempt he felt for those who failed to act. She was drowning, and they didn't even seem to care.
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