Originally Posted by
Destin
Now, am I supposed to worry proportional to the scale of the tragedy, or is it not the fact that many people died, but that the deaths were unexpected (as opposed to the slow but very steady toll that say car accidents cause, but that we don't seem to empathize with unless it happens close to us)?
Should I only care when someone dies close to someone I know, or every time I hear about a death? I mean, I hear about ALOT of deaths, especially when I listen to international news. Do I need to cry myself to sleep every night after listening to the news, or should I stop listening to the news and re sensitize myself so that I can really care when the big things happen, like this?
When donating money, should I be a scrooge except when a big event happens, or constantly donate money? Should I donate to these sensationalized events, or research and donate money where it will be most effective for saving lives? Should I worry that without the infrastructure to support the lives I am saving, I am just reducing child mortality? Then the increased population will either experience an even higher mortality rate (in which case I directly contributed to increased suffering, specifically what I personally care about more than most other things), or I will just create a greater need for aid in the future to these countries in a bad loop.
I don't mean to be sarcastic with that. There is just too much to care about, if we are more jaded it is because we have more access to information. The only thing that has bothered me in a while was the video of those Russians burning in the car. And it probably won't next time I see something like that.
