Poll: Do you feel empathy for people you do not know?

[Riding on Thermals]

Please read before voting:

After reading through much of the resulting comments in "Handheld Gaming Propels Child onto Train Tracks" (link: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.262691-Handheld-Gaming-Propels-Boy-Onto-Subway-Tracks?page=1) I was astounded both by the sheer number of people posting their indifference about the child's survival and the resulting ferocity of the people appalled by callous Escapists.

Now, my question: Do you actually feel empathy for someone you will (most assuredly) never meet?

I caution you from replying immediately, only so that you may have the opportunity to actually consider my question. Do you feel empathy for a person you will never encounter, or has society/your upbringing trained you to think about the suffering of others? Is your emotional response genuine or is your response intellectual only?

I originally dismissed the indifference of the posters as a side effect of the internet being anonymous, but as I continued through the thread I realized that I don't actually feel anything for this child either way. I certainly don't wish death on the child, but I find that I don't think the outcome matters to me. Had the boy died the only difference to me would be the speed with which the news media picks up the story. Either way, the boy's story registers as simply a fact to me, and his survival or death would've changed my response very little. Perhaps that's a personal failing of mine.

Either way I would like to understand others' thoughts on this!

EDIT: Please feel free to expound on your conclusion, your reasons for your decision are far more interesting and helpful than the decision itsef

 

[Dogstile]

I don't feel anything other than "ohh, that musta hurt some". Aside from that, I couldn't care less. What's it changed in my life exactly?

Oh, yeah, nothing. Onto more videos of people falling over I say!

 

[ChocoFace]

if im standing next to them while it happens - yes.
if i read it on the news on the internet, on tv, paper, whatever - no.
That's kind of how it is with me.

 

[Yuno Gasai]

Now, my question: Do you actually feel empathy for someone you will (most assuredly) never meet?

Yes. I am a very empathetic being, almost to a fault. :/

 

[Jonluw]

No. Somebody dies practically every second. If I was supposed to feel sad for them all I wouldn't get anything done.

 

[FamoFunk]

I do feel sad when I hear about people dying. Unless they're one of those folk who run around shooting people then shooting them selves, I couldn't care for them.

 

[Riding on Thermals]

I don't feel anything other than "ohh, that musta hurt some". Aside from that, I couldn't care less. What's it changed in my life exactly?

Oh, yeah, nothing. Onto more videos of people falling over I say!

If I remember correctly you decried someone who was unsure if they were "elated or dismayed" at the child's survival or something to that effect. If you're indifferent to this child, why does it matter if some random persona on the internet is dismayed that he's alive?

 

[Scarim Coral]

Sorry but no I don't. What I mean is I do heard about news about some deaths then I just view it was tragic and carries on my business however it will be different if I was there. I do feel empathy to the people I've meet though.

 

[PurplePlatypus]

Yes I do, rather a lot sometimes.
Empathy's one of them things; it can be hard to start up but once it does it starts to become more natural, or at least easier to apply to more areas.

 

[Dogstile]

I don't feel anything other than "ohh, that musta hurt some". Aside from that, I couldn't care less. What's it changed in my life exactly?

Oh, yeah, nothing. Onto more videos of people falling over I say!

If I remember correctly you decried someone who was unsure if they were "elated or dismayed" at the child's survival or something to that effect. If you're indifferent to this child, why does it matter if some random persona on the internet is dismayed that he's alive?

There is a difference. I'm assuming you mean the bloke who was clearly just doing his best to be a dick.

See, not caring isn't being a dick. Wishing death on someone however, is.

Morals are weird yes?

 

[Pilkingtube]

I think it's called 'empathy fatigue' you just can't keep caring about millions of people dying. If you did, watching the news would kill you. :/

 

[Smooth Operator]

Oh god don't bring up Mr. Freeze, the horror... THE HORROR!

I feel empathy for everyone except the man who made that dung heap of a movie.

 

[Lyx]

My emotional reaction to stories of unknown people depends...

- is the described character and situation of the person something i can relate to? Then yes.

- does the described situation imply something highly dishonest/hypocritical? Then yes, there too is a strong honest emotional feeling - but not specifically related to that person but to the entire event, including that person.

- is the described character someone i cannot much relate to, and/or the situation something that does not personally relate to me? Then no, there is not much empathy. This does not mean that i may not consider an event good or bad, but i don't really emotionally relate to that person.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Not even a tear out of me on 9/11.

I don't expect anyone I don't know to care when I die, either.

 

[Dags90]

Oh god don't bring up Mr. Freeze, the horror... THE HORROR!

He doesn't even have a particular lack of empathy, so it doesn't even make sense as a reference. His character story is that he was driven to evil in order to fund research for his ill wife because he loves her so much. He's no bleeding heart but he's hardly a cold person. He's just depressed and very driven.

OT: Sometimes. Not so much on the internet, way too easy to be trolled/misled.

 

[Riding on Thermals]

Morals are weird yes?

Indeed. So much so that you're offended that someone made a passing comment about a boy you are indifferent toward. Though, you managed to distill my whole point to four words quite nicely.

 

[Zarmi]

I honestly can't bring myself to care about if someone I don't know dies. If I read the news and hear someone got hit by a car and died, my first instinct is "Too bad, one down, plenty to go." Humanity disgusts me. So.. But of course, I got a double standard here. Because I care a whole freakin' lot of it's someone I know who gets hurt and the like, but that's different depending on how we're brought up, I assume.

 

[Dogstile]

Morals are weird yes?

Indeed. So much so that you're offended that someone made a passing comment about a boy you are indifferent toward. Though, you managed to distill my whole point to four words quite nicely.

To be fair I was hoping I could get an argument out of him, more than true annoyance.

But yes, morals are weird.