There was no obligation to me, just an opportunity to help.<p>&quot;Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,&quot; is a good secular rule as well as religious.<p>I believe we&#x27;d be better off as a society if more people simply helped, as best they can, when the situation presents itself.<p>But you&#x27;re not obligated to help, in my view, or especially not to seek out opportunities to help.<p>I suppose I just don&#x27;t see it as an imposed obligation, but a chance for charity, even a little bit.<p>As far as morality goes:<p>Theological: Failure to help is a sin of omission, as it violates the Golden Rule. (Christian version, but there are many other examples in the major religions.)<p>Political: Locking someone up with other criminals creates a greater cost to society than psychiatric treatment.<p>Secular: Unreciprocated generosity relieves suffering. It can also lead to an improvement in reputation.<p>We could discuss each moral foundation in detail, from St. Augustine to Singer if you&#x27;d like.<p>As for my personal experience with mental illness:<p>I was able to convinve my cousin, who was in full blown psychosis, to get to a hospital (<i>way</i> harder than it sounds.)<p>I spent most of my childhood helping to care for my uncle, both physically and mentally disabled.<p>Also, I do volunteer work regularly for the homeless, many if not most of whom are mentally ill, in my home city of Washington.