What makes people willing to risk their lives to save others?
After an 18-year-old shooter murdered 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, distraught parents directed their rage at the multiple police officers who failed to enter the classroom where children were being shot. A teacher who survived his wounds derided the officers as “cowards.”
It’s possible that a broken chain of command was more consequential than a lack of courage. But the actions — or inaction — of these officers stand in stark contrast to the heroism displayed by others under similar circumstances.
For example, in August 2015, three young American men were on a crowded train heading from Paris to Amsterdam when they encountered a heavily armed terrorist. With little regard for their personal safety, they rushed the terrorist and subdued him. No one disputes that these men deserve to be called heroes.