over one third of men would never help a woman struggling with a baby buggy on stairs

[lumberjack_jeff]

261. That accurately describes my attitude about the topic.

When I was younger and of average looks and below-average confidence and social skill, being rebuffed by someone apparently in need of help "who looked at me as if I were a dish that she hadn't ordered" colored my subsequent attitudes.

Won't do that again. There's nothing to be gained by giving people opportunities to score my social fitness.

Now that I'm older, have better confidence and look harmless, I doubt that my offers of help would be as often misinterpreted, but the flipside of acquired confidence is a sense of "why bother?".

I avoid situations which give people the power to make me feel bad. I'd prefer strangers think of me as a selfish jerk than creepy. There's too much work and psychic risk involved for too little reward in finding the middle way.