Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The Mystery Keys

I was at the gym last week and noticed a set of two tiny keys on a tiny key ring sitting on a windowsill. I assumed that this was to a lock in the locker room, and in short order someone with a panicked look in their eyes would be walking around in gym clothes looking for these very keys. Perhaps I should have dropped them at the front desk, but I thought, "No, I'll see how this plays out." Today, a week later, the keys are still there. At first I imagined some poor guy or girl running home in below freezing weather while wearing sweaty gym clothes, but now I'd guess that they cut the lock off and the person went on their way. Plus, now I don't have to feel guilty about not turning the keys in, because by now dozens or even hundreds of people must have seen them, and not a single person has picked them up to turn them in or move them. If find that diffusion of responsibility in some cases also means diffusion of guilt.

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