What's the smartest thing you've ever seen someone do?

I was on a flight from Delhi to Chennai with my client 3 months back, who had hired me for a business trip. Everything was going smoothly until, halfway through the flight, there was an announcement that a man in business class had collapsed and was unconscious. The flight attendants asked if there was a doctor onboard, but no one came forward. People started to look worried, and you could feel the panic building up.

My client, who was usually quiet and focused on his work, stood up and calmly went to the flight attendants. He wasn’t a doctor, but he told them he had taken a first-aid course recently. He asked them to bring the medical kit and oxygen mask. He didn’t hesitate he just took charge of the situation.

What impressed me most was how smart he was in handling everything. He asked one flight attendant to stay on the phone with ground control to get advice from a doctor on the ground. Then he asked a couple of nearby passengers to help him lift the man’s legs and clear space so that the man could breathe better. His instructions were clear, and his calm voice helped everyone feel less panicked.

Within a few minutes, the man started to regain consciousness, and you could see the relief on everyone’s faces. My client stayed with the man, checking his pulse and making sure he was stable until we landed in Chennai. When the paramedics came onboard, the man was okay, and the flight attendants thanked my client for his quick thinking.

Later, I asked him how he stayed so calm during such a stressful situation. He smiled and said, “The smartest thing you can do in a crisis is keep calm and make sure people know what to do. Panicking doesn’t help anyone.”

That was probably the smartest thing I’ve ever seen someone do. He wasn’t a doctor, but he used what he knew and stayed calm, making sure everyone else felt safe too. His quick action saved that man, and it taught me how important it is to stay level-headed in tough situations.