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The Parable of the Rushed Samaritan
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This short piece can be used to supplement training in Time Management.
Nearly 30 years a study was conducted at Princeton designed to figure out the conditions under which good people would act for good, or at least be helpful.
Two psychologists asked seminarians to walk over to another building on campus to give a short speech, either about their motives for studying theology or about the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan. The psychologists had planted an actor along the way, stumped over, coughing and obviously in bad shape. The two experimenters had led half of the students to believe that they were late for their speaking appointment, and half that they had ample time. So, taking into account what they were thinking about on the way (theology versus The Good Samaritan) as well as how much time they had, what do you
think determined whether students would help the man in need?
Contrary to expectations, the content of the speech made no difference. People asked to give either speech, including the Good Samaritan, were no different in how many stopped to help. What mattered a great deal, by contrast, was whether students were in a hurry. Of those who were told that they were in a hurry, only 10 percent stopped to help. Of those told that they had plenty of time, 60 percent stopped to help.
Are you always in a rush? What might be the message for you?
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