Bystander vs. upstander

- Have you ever witnessed incivility or even harassment … and not stood up for the person at the receiving end? … That word, witness, is an interesting one … because in my field we'd call you a witness or a bystander. … I don't particularly care for those words … because they sound passive, … but each time you witness something, … and make a conscious choice not to speak up, … that's an active choice. … That choice makes you a reinforcer. … You're choosing to communicate that this behavior is okay, … thereby, reinforcing it. … On the opposite spectrum of bystander is upstander. … An upstander is someone who observes or experiences … incivility or microaggressions and speaks up … in order to stop the behavior from happening again. … I get it, I know speaking up isn't easy. … Not speaking up is actually a form of flight … in the old fight or flight scenario … we all learned about in grade school, remember? … Something threatens you, … which causes your adrenaline to rush, … and your survival instinct is fight or run. …