Sorry not sorry, Wikipedia
The other day there was a blackout in our apartment complex.
We knew it wasn’t just our unit because we heard from neighbors in other buildings.
I assumed that whoever needed to be notified had been notified and soon our power would be back up, just like always.
I was right. But it got me thinking.
My assumption that somebody else would do it is a dangerous game to play.
What if no one reported the blackout?
I think I am generally the type of person to respond when life calls for it.
So what made this situation hard to respond to?
I think it boiled down to three things:
The strong sense that someone else would take care of it as they always had.
The paradox of choice.
What's in it for me? / Why bother?
That first reason is also primarily why I’ve never contributed—financially nor editorially—to Wikipedia, despite the consistent and immeasurable utility it's brought me for many years. Selfish as it may sound, they apparently get by just fine without me.
The paradox of choice is the theory that basically says when presented with too many options we'll often choose none. That's exactly what I did with the choices I considered fleetingly—call the landlord? Maintenance? The power company? Or simply opt-out of this adulting pop quiz?
Besides, why worry my head about something that'll reward me equally whether I act or not?
When faced with abstract problems with no clear solution and no clear payoff, we often won’t act.
Keep it dead simple.
