From Psychologies · Nina Parage · · 1m 30s
We badly underrate each other
Two huge studies found people cooperate and step in far more than anyone expects.
In brief
Two huge studies found people cooperate and step in far more than anyone expects. People help far more often than we think, and our low expectations are the thing holding solidarity back. Originally reported by Psychologies.
Trust is at a low
The 2026 Edelman barometer found seven in ten people can no longer trust those whose values differ from theirs. Only 32% worldwide think the next generation will live better, and just 6% in France.
100,000 people, one choice
The Homo cooperans study, published in Science in June 2026, paired strangers in 125 countries. Each could keep a guaranteed sum, or give some up to trigger a much bigger climate donation if the other did the same.
Most people gave it up
69% chose the cooperative option even though it cost them money. Across very different cultures, cooperation looked less like a fragile exception and more like a reflex.
“La coopération n'est donc pas l'exception fragile qu'on imagine, mais un réflexe largement partagé.”
The 22-point blind spot
Asked how many compatriots would cooperate, people guessed 47%. The real figure was 69%, and the gap showed up in 124 countries out of 125.
Strangers do step in
Richard Philpot's team analysed 219 real fights and assaults caught on CCTV in Amsterdam, Cape Town and Lancaster. In more than nine cases out of ten, at least one witness acted.
The bystander myth breaks
After Kitty Genovese's murder in 1964, we learned that crowds dilute responsibility. The footage shows the opposite: more witnesses means better odds someone moves. Ask what makes help possible, not why nobody helps.
“Non plus "pourquoi personne n'aide-t-il", mais "qu'est-ce qui rend l'aide possible".”
The one thing
People help far more often than we think, and our low expectations are the thing holding solidarity back.
