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RamboSixVegas t1_j5k83nq wrote

Reply to comment by Jrubas in TIL that Titanic crewman Herbert Pitman made an attempt to row his lifeboat over to rescue people in the water, but was overruled by the other occupants of the boat, who were worried about people swarming them and duly complied. Pitman said that this haunted him throughout his life. by ChadExtra

Reading through the thread, there's a commonly known fact that hasn't been brought up.

The crewmembers, and many passengers, knew there wasn't enough space in the lifeboats for everyone currently in the water. They already had to make the decision to let others die to ensure they didn't die with them, including people they loved. They're already making difficult decisions under awful circumstances.

What everyone seems to be condemning them for is for failing to calculate in their head a formula that would yield the exact amount of time to get the most people saved in a survival situation involving listening to hundreds of people die. How reddit is that?

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Jrubas t1_j5konge wrote

It's one of the most Reddit things imaginable. When people are thrust into an awful situation like the Titanic disaster, they're not thinking clearly. All these commenters swear up and down that they would be sober and clear-headed throughout. Maybe some would be, but most would freeze up like a deer in the headlights.

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