Health does have a very interesting point, though I’m not sure why he cloaked such important information into a guessing game.
I got CPR certified years ago, and despite numerous devices intended to simply the process (jingles like, “hey! Are you ok? You – go call 911!” to remember first trying to speak to the person and then getting another bystander to call emergency services – and ABC’s for first opening the airway by tilting the chin up, then breathing mouth-to-mouth, then compressions, repeat), the process was still daunting. Even though I was certified, if I had G-d forbid ever had to use it, I would have been very scared to do so, and overthinking the process.
When Health posted his answer, I thought he left out a step – checking for a pulse – because I originally learned that doing compressions on someone with a heartbeat could be harmful to them. This caused me to look at more recent instructions, and it seems like the process has been simplified extensively from when I learned it. E.g., no more mouth-to-mouth breathing, and focus on compressions alone, which in fact are unlikely to be harmful even if inadvertently done on someone with a heartbeat. This updated guidance seems geared towards encouraging more bystanders, even those untrained, to do something. Because in a case of cardiac arrest, anything is better than nothing, and those first few minutes before the emergency responders arrive are crucial for survival.