Why We Act

Turning Bystanders into Moral Rebels

By: Catherine A. Sanderson

Narrated by: Catherine A. Sanderson

Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

In the face of wrongdoing, why do good people so often do nothing? Pioneering psychologist Catherine A. Sanderson explains why moral courage is so rare - and how we can all learn to be brave.

We are bombarded every day by reports of bad behaviour: from sexual harassment to political corruption, from bullying to corporate greed. We believe these things are wrong or even evil, but in practice few of us choose to intercede.

Why We Act draws on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience to explain why we act differently in groups than when we are alone, how slippery slopes begin and prosper and where the dissonance lies between good intentions and real action.

Sanderson answers the question of why otherwise good people can become bystanders to evil of any scale, and gives practical strategies for how to resist pressures and make change in our own lives.

Courage, this book shows, is not a virtue we’re born with or without. A bystander can learn to be brave.

©2020 Catherine A. Sanderson (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"Thoughtful and beautifully written.... A smart and practical guide to becoming a better and braver version of ourselves." (Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness)

"Catherine Sanderson, like no other psychologist, invades our minds. Her riveting storytelling challenges us to rethink why we avert our eyes to evil, tolerate bullying, and excuse unforgivable workplace behaviour." (Walter V. Robinson, former editor of the Pulitzer-winning Boston Globe team)

"Brilliant.... The unrelenting rigor of her analysis, sweeping breadth of research and evocative lucidity empower us to act - and also give us hope. This book comes not a moral moment too soon." (Cornell William Brooks, former President of the NAACP)

We all need some Moral Courage!

Why we act by Dr. Catherine Sanderson has given me a fresh and hopeful perspective on how being a moral rebel and acting with courage means.

Her unassuming storytelling encourages the listener / reader to place the looking glass and perception at themselves and ask the hard questions. Are my actions good or evil? Have I served myself and others well in this life? Have I done ill to myself and others by not speaking up for what is moral and correct?

Dr. Sanderson peppers nuggets of evidence based research with real world suggestions on how to exercise moral courage in a way
that results in a win win for all parties.

Excellent and engaging

It may surprise you that this book is by an academic. Sanderson does a fantastic job bringing social psychology research to life, making it interesting, connecting it to real life situations, and distilling the lessons. I love that she gives real steps to help readers help themselves and others many morally courageous choices.

Why the Children of the Professional Managerial Class Act

I had trouble taking Dr. Sandersons’s study seriously because it would seem that all of the studies cited and examples given occurred at elite prep schools or Ivy League campuses.
I really don’t care how the children of elites interpret body image or whether frat boys misconceive whether or not their “peers” consume more alcohol than they actually do.

Political correctnessw contaminating an otherwise well researched citical concept

While potentially applicable to objectively legitimate real world risky circumstances, the author generally expresses her political agenda by way of a narrow bias for pushing what may be offensive to those with a woke mindset.