It's a fairly standard human response to feel empathy for the misery of another.
But if the suffering is judged to be self inflicted, the empathy can be switched off.
I think it's because people feel empathy for the sufferer because they think, 'that could be me'.
But if the sufferer is doing something they would not do, they think, 'that wouldn't happen to me, they don't deserve my sympathy'.
Like, you rush over to help an elderly gentleman who has collapsed, obviously due to some medical ailment.
Turns out he's just a disgusting old wino who's too pissed to stand up.
It's that part where the empathy just snaps off, like it was never real.
I just find it interesting.
But if the suffering is judged to be self inflicted, the empathy can be switched off.
I think it's because people feel empathy for the sufferer because they think, 'that could be me'.
But if the sufferer is doing something they would not do, they think, 'that wouldn't happen to me, they don't deserve my sympathy'.
Like, you rush over to help an elderly gentleman who has collapsed, obviously due to some medical ailment.
Turns out he's just a disgusting old wino who's too pissed to stand up.
It's that part where the empathy just snaps off, like it was never real.
I just find it interesting.
