A page from The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why by Amanda Ripley
I guess it’s not exactly surprising, but it seems to explain a lot of things I’m witnessing in my later adulthood. I’ve always felt deeply impressed by selfless heroes, but I never really pondered the profile of heroism.
People are terrified of empathy. Empathy is the capacity (or even the obligation) to experience the suffering of others. Suffering HURTS. Empathy HURTS. People will do anything to avoid thinking about the victim on their plate.