14 DAY TRIAL // A shocking video which shows that humans sometimes tend to judge a book by its covers has been posted on YouTube by user NorniTUBE and has racked up more that 3 million views in a couple of days.
The clip was filmed in France and seems to be a social experiment designed to illustrate “The importance of appearances,” as its title suggests. It shows how people react to someone who is in serious trouble based solely on their appearance.
In the video, we can see two characters simulating a fainting in the middle of a street. The difference is that the first one is dressed up as a homeless, with a hat, ragged jeans and a jacket, while the second guy is dressed with a nice suit and looks like a businessman.
The reactions of pedestrians who come across the men collapsed to the ground are completely different. As you might have guessed, the fake beggar only receives a number of looks, but he is then ignored for nearly five minutes, although he cries for help.
On the other hand, when the man in a suit performs the exact same act, the scene is completely different, as people quickly gather around him to check if he is OK.
“I've never been so sad and shocked while filming as I was for this experience,” says the French YouTube user at the end of the clip. “I hope this video will make you want to help anyone regardless of their appearance.”
