Bookstores are filled with the latest in pop behavioral studies. Malcolm Gladwell is one of the more prominent writers that has made the subject so popular with books like Blink and Outliers. It is an encouragement to look closer on how we behave in certain situations and the causation. What Sam Sommers does in his new book Situations Matter is to go over the same territory, but instead of just looking at the phenomenon he also examines what to do about it. At the heart of it, is an encouragement to be more aware of situations and understand what is really go on. Don't be deceived by WYSIWIG (what you see is what you get) thinking, look deeper in order to avoid being a passive bystander when an emergency is unfolding, or being deceived by emotions that are being manipulated.

It's a refreshing perspective after reading so many similar books. The hook of so many is the "wow" factor. Isn't it interesting how people act out of character? Then, the writers will just leave it there and we are supposed to be in awe of the revelation. Sommers, instead wants to give you tools to fight this type of passive thinking so hopefully, the next time Dateline pulls a candid camera "What would you do" you don't look like an uncaring bystander while someone is being kidnapped right in front of you.

From the inertia of crowds (more people means less responsibility) to how physiology and location affect your love life (an activity that quickens the heart may make you appear more appealing to your date) Sommers describes in humorous detail how we are influenced and how to take a step back and make a situational assessment in order to counter these influences. after reading you will probably see your surroundings with a whole new perspective.

I received this book through a librarything giveaway. It's an advanced reader copy so some passages may be different.

Favorite passages:

"In daily life, even when we should know better, we endorse the idea of WYSIWIG (or wizzywig, if you prefer) when we assumed the behavior we observe of another person at a particular point in time provides an accurate glimpse of the "true product" within." p. 18

"Assuming the perspective of others is one way to make sure that you don't lose sight of the small factors that have huge impacts on the people with whom you interact. And rediscovering the power of situations will do more than make you a more patient human being--it'll improve your ability to navigate social settings and make you better at your job to boot."p. 41


" For example, the next time you're in the midst of a political argument or heated negotiation, take time out before angrily concluding that you're butting heads with a zealot or hopeless curmudgeon. Instead, force yourself to see the discussion from your opponent's point of view--even if fleetingly. Not because it will make you a kindler gentler person, but because it'll make you more likely to win out in the end." p. 45

"Crowd. Lack of responsibility. Crowd. Someone else will take care of this." p. 56

"Reponsibility diffuses in groups. Chemists talk about diffusion in terms of molecules spreading from areas off high concentration to low concentration. The same thing happens to feelings of obligation and responsibility in a crowd." p. 63

"the more we understand about situational obstacles to helping, the better we're able to avoid them; knowing about bystander apathy makes mindless passivity less likely." p. 75

"even without direct consequences, few of us are comfortable with the idea of making obviously inaccurate statements in public. But this is precisely what most of Asch's respondents opted to do, demonstrating just how powerful the pressures to conform are." p. 93

"it's the shifting stands of normative conformity that accounts for how a name can go from the punchline of a movie joke--the mermaids so naive she picked "Madison off a street sign--to the fourth most popular girls name in America less than three decades later." p.97

"if you want to avoid undue conformity, you have to be vigilant-- against both the intentional efforts of others as well as you're own mindless tendnecy to go along with the crowd. The subtlest strategies of social influence usually only work when the target isn't aware of them; realizing that someone is pulling your strings is enough to get you to yank right back."p. 113

"In other words, seeing the self as a static and stable entity is what puts us on the defensive and mandates chronic self-deception. Think of a characteristic like intelligence in terms of fixed capacity and the poor exam grade or subpar performance review becomes intolerably threatening. Instead, you should train yourself to view intellect--and any other aspect of your personal skill set--as a muscle that grows with effort and atrophied with neglect. Wen you accept that the answer to "Who am I?" should be written in pencil and not pen, threats become opportunities and failures transform into life lessons. Even if this isn't how you usually see things, it's not too late to start now." p. 144