We must guard against the ‘bystander effect’ when we encounter creeping fascism, writes Dr Caroline Vincent. Plus letters from Paul Goldreich, Russell Simpson and Robin Shohet

Zoe Williams argues that fascism’s gradual arrival induces a sense of paralysis (The new world order is exactly what it looks like. Are we too frozen with fear to name it?, 17 February). Her words immediately brought to mind the “smoky room experiment”.

In this study, when a person is alone in a room that begins to fill with smoke, three-quarters raise the alarm within minutes. Yet, when surrounded by others who remain passive, only 10% take action. This is the “bystander effect”, identified by Latané and Darley in the 1970s, which reveals how a silent, unresponsive crowd can stifle our instincts – even when our own lives are at stake.