Comprehending A Tragedy

[Liquidshokk]

Sorry for bringing up a morbidly depressing subject but following the shootings yesterday and this story in the echo

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/national/news/8200096.Witness_saw_mother_and_son_stabbed/

 

I have been trying to imagine what the victims would have gone through and I simply cannot comprehend the immense scale of the tragedies. Almost as if my mind just cannot handle how shocking the scenes must have been; most significantly the two year old kid being stabbed to death, can you imagine the scene?? how horrific it must have been!

 

My point really is that we read such stories in the papers but we as humans don't react in a way that reflects the extremity of the event...You would have thought that the paper wouldnt be able to write about such things because of the shock/emotions it would generate if we fully appreciated the seriousness of it. Is it because we are just used to hearing about these things? Is it because we just don’t feel anything because we don’t know the person? Are we as humans incapable of feeling extreme sadness or general emotions for someone unrelated?

 

I know plenty of people who have watched beheadings online when they were all the rage some years back and most think nothing of it.... surely any kind of serious extremity should be treated as just that, SERIOUSLY EXTREME??

 

Your thoughts on why this is would interest me

Edited 3 June, 2010 by Liquidshokk

[SO16_Saint]

I agree, Liquid.

 

I watched the shooting saga unveil on tv yesterday, and watched the umpteen news reports last night and this morning and - if honest - didn't feel the slightest bit sad / sorry / upset / whatever the word is.

 

I think it's down to the fact that we are so accustomed to these things that it becomes the norm - because we've watched so many CSI / Special Victims Unit / A N Other programme.

 

I cant believe that it's just me that hasn't been affected by this and didnt feel anything....

[Liquidshokk]

You're certainly not alone. Now Im no cold hearted b@stard but it took to actually sit down and think about it hard before I really took in what happened and felt saddened by it. After analysing those two stories properly I did feel a lot of emotion. When I was driving home tonight I was listening to the news report about it and the reporter kept on saying "many were shot at POINT BLANK RANGE IN THE FACE" and said it at least 4 times. It not only felt like they were saying this to get more of a reaction but also made me realise how the common use of such words has meant that it didn't have the shock factor something so brutal should have.

 

The thing that brought it home was when they reeled off the names of the people killed and what they were doing at the time which made the whole thing feel real. Maybe that's it, we hear these things described in such strong ways yet very little is said about the actual victims in most cases that you dont really treat it as real event.

Edited 3 June, 2010 by Liquidshokk

[RedAndWhite91]

Are we as humans incapable of feeling extreme sadness or general emotions for someone unrelated?

 

Definitely not. When I was younger I remember crying watching the Remembrance Sunday proceedings. None of my close family died in the Wars, yet thinking of the sacrifices those thousands upon thousands of men made and what they went through bought me to tears.

 

And why is this in the Muppet Show?

[Liquidshokk]

Definitely not. When I was younger I remember crying watching the Remembrance Sunday proceedings. None of my close family died in the Wars, yet thinking of the sacrifices those thousands upon thousands of men made and what they went through bought me to tears.

 

And why is this in the Muppet Show?

 

I wasn't sure wether it was suitable for lounge given the references to beheadings and the underlying dark mood that surrounds such a subject. I don't dare cross some of the peoples comments on here by putting it in the wrong section :-D how do I get it moved if you deem neccesary?

 

so out of interest how saddened are you by the shootings or that story about the kid and mother being killed? Does it instantly upset you/trigger true acknowledgement in your mind of the pain and sufferring involved or does that only come with serious thought? In my case it's the latter but I can't help feel it should be the former,..

[RedAndWhite91]

I wasn't sure wether it was suitable for lounge given the references to beheadings and the underlying dark mood that surrounds such a subject. I don't dare cross some of the peoples comments on here by putting it in the wrong section :-D how do I get it moved if you deem neccesary?

 

so out of interest how saddened are you by the shootings or that story about the kid and mother being killed? Does it instantly upset you/trigger true acknowledgement in your mind of the pain and sufferring involved or does that only come with serious thought? In my case it's the latter but I can't help feel it should be the former,..

 

I guess the all powerful mods will move if if they feel it should be moved.

 

I'm in the same boat as you. Even with serious thought I still seem to adopt a "well, it doesn't really affect me" attitude which is bad, and I don't know why, since my attitude is opposite when it comes to say, Remembrance Day for example. I also feel I should feel more upset but I don't, and can't help that. Course, it's bad, awful, and terrible, but it just doesn't affect me in all that big way. I guess the mass media have made it so common to highlight incidents such as these that we've got used to it.

[Liquidshokk]

 

I guess the all powerful mods will move if if they feel it should be moved.

 

I'm in the same boat as you. Even with serious thought I still seem to adopt a "well, it doesn't really affect me" attitude which is bad, and I don't know why, since my attitude is opposite when it comes to say, Remembrance Day for example. I also feel I should feel more upset but I don't, and can't help that. Course, it's bad, awful, and terrible, but it just doesn't affect me in all that big way. I guess the mass media have made it so common to highlight incidents such as these that we've got used to it.

That is really sad if that's the case though isn't it. Sensationalist media causing us to react in an unnatural way to tragedy. I guess it's when you don't feel emotion when it IS actually relevant to you that you need to worry....I can sometimes struggle then and emotions hit me much later than they should :-S I guess one example and one that is relevant to the "not being able to feel sadness for someone you don't know" is when my sisters baby died in NZ, I'd never met the baby and so struggled to mourn despite it being my sisters baby. Then it hit me a few days later but initially I felt nothing. I feel awful for that fact.

 

Do you think censorship could be to do with it? I mean if they showed you shots of the bodies laid in the street would you feel more??

[Truesaint]

I think distancing yourself from these things is actually quite normal and just a normal human way of protecting yourself. We all have good and bad times in life, and all know that sooner or later something will have a more direct effect on us (like a family death etc) and so we try to protect ourselves till then, so we can cope better.

Think you are also right about us becoming a bit immune to these things due to media. I also think that half the sick jokes that come out about these things are a way of coping too, in a bizaare sense. Some things are so shocking to us we turn them into jokes! Not that that makes them acceptable.

[saint_stevo]

Apaprently i am 'Dead Inside' as accused by a number of people.

 

Good thing/Bad thing? No idea

[Liquidshokk]

I think distancing yourself from these things is actually quite normal and just a normal human way of protecting yourself. We all have good and bad times in life, and all know that sooner or later something will have a more direct effect on us (like a family death etc) and so we try to protect ourselves till then, so we can cope better.

Think you are also right about us becoming a bit immune to these things due to media. I also think that half the sick jokes that come out about these things are a way of coping too, in a bizaare sense. Some things are so shocking to us we turn them into jokes! Not that that makes them acceptable.

Very good points, never really thought about it like that. I guess if we all truly acknowledged every horrific event we would live in an even more depressing world than we do. Funny how that natural barrier is there in the first place though. Something we've developed as we've evolved? Were cavemens emotions more in tune with those around them or screamish when someone cut themselves? :-D

 

Dead inside is strangely a good description for my point. Is it not a case everyone is really, as I don't truly believe that some feel more than others regarding the shootings for example. I think the country is shocked because it's in the news but otherwise not affected by it really.

 

I heard a news reporter talking to someone in the village where it happened yesterday who had been given a lift before by one of the taxi drivers who was killed and the reporter was asking such questions as "how will you get over this? How long will it take for you to come to terms with and move on from this?" ffs, the guy didn't even know him and wasn't a witness to anything!! Was a facepalm moment. Maybe the media want us to feel more in these situations as the more attention to the story they can provoke the more people talk. I do dislike the media more every day as I cotton on to just how poor most of it is.

[Hatch]

the whole thing will be forgotten about this time next week, the 24 hr news stations will have more important things to cover like Crouch has grown a beard or Frank Lampard had 2 slices of toast for breakfast.

 

We are bombard with news these days, so before you can digest one story, another comes along, and then another..and so on.

[Liquidshokk]

the whole thing will be forgotten about this time next week, the 24 hr news stations will have more important things to cover like Crouch has grown a beard or Frank Lampard had 2 slices of toast for breakfast.

 

We are bombard with news these days, so before you can digest one story, another comes along, and then another..and so on.

 

...and each time the news is shoved in our faces it gets less and less shocking and doesn't hit home as much. Cant work out if that's a good thing or not.

[RedAndWhite91]

That is really sad if that's the case though isn't it. Sensationalist media causing us to react in an unnatural way to tragedy. I guess it's when you don't feel emotion when it IS actually relevant to you that you need to worry....I can sometimes struggle then and emotions hit me much later than they should :-S I guess one example and one that is relevant to the "not being able to feel sadness for someone you don't know" is when my sisters baby died in NZ, I'd never met the baby and so struggled to mourn despite it being my sisters baby. Then it hit me a few days later but initially I felt nothing. I feel awful for that fact.

 

Do you think censorship could be to do with it? I mean if they showed you shots of the bodies laid in the street would you feel more??

 

I guess that's a natural thing for it to hit you later on I reckon, part of your psyche. Also agree if it is related and relevant to you then you should feel emotion. If you don't I reckon you'd have to be some sort of bastard, or psycho.

 

Seeing graphic images certainly would have more of an impact, but you often don't see that on the lunchtime news when they are reading bulletins in the same way, each day, no matter what the story.

 

I studied Sociology in A-Level and one of the main units was Mass Media... It's definitely NOT a good thing when the news becomes less shocking due to over exposure. The Mass Media, without sounding like some paranoid weirdo, is a very powerful and dangerous tool.

[Liquidshokk]

Apaprently i am 'Dead Inside' as accused by a number of people.

 

Good thing/Bad thing? No idea

 

If you don't I reckon you'd have to be some sort of bastard, or psycho.

 

fiiiiiigggghhhhhttt!!!!

 

I studied Sociology in A-Level and one of the main units was Mass Media... It's definitely NOT a good thing when the news becomes less shocking due to over exposure. The Mass Media, without sounding like some paranoid weirdo, is a very powerful and dangerous tool.

 

I'd quite like to live somewhere seriously remote and not have have any kind of media influence at all. To not be aware of the mass murdering going on or all the things that are going to kill us; bird flu, swine flu, anthrax, SARS etc would be bliss..... kind of begs the question why we bother taking any notice of the media really...

[Liquidshokk]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8722000/8722360.stm

 

Both children have seen a doctor, and on the night of the killing both stayed up late and slept with their mother, Jill.

:confused:

[bridge too far]

^^^

 

I don't know if it's the same children, but I read on the BBC news website that two children (who were right next to one person when that person was killed) couldn't speak for a couple of hours because of shock. I dread to think what sort of long-lasting impact that'll have on those children.

 

I don't know if it's an age thing, but I get far more upset these days by things like this. And when children are hurt / abused / killed, I get quite distressed.

 

But then I seem to worry about the dangers my grandchildren might face more than I ever did when my children were little.

 

I don't know if that's mild hysteria caused by greater knowledge via the media or, as I say, just an 'age' thing.

[Hatch]

Going completely off topic here, but...

 

How and why do the press get people to pose for those sort of photos. And Why do the people agree to them.

 

The bloke having a BBQ.

 

Happens all the time. Annoys the hell out of me. Especially the 'casual walk towards the camera' shot.

[Liquidshokk]

Going completely off topic here, but...

 

How and why do the press get people to pose for those sort of photos. And Why do the people agree to them.

 

The bloke having a BBQ.

 

Happens all the time. Annoys the hell out of me. Especially the 'casual walk towards the camera' shot.

 

I agree... although I assumed that was a family photo the press were given but given the BBQ reference I guess not!

 

I can just see it now, they interview them in the street about their experiences, they say " we're going to get over it with a BBQ" reporter then asks if he can come along to take a photo of them having it (?)

 

Cheeky little sod just wanted a sausage.

 

Its bad enough that they stop people and try to get as much of a reaction out of them as poss but to then go to their house for a BBQ?? leave them alone, the kids day was Insanely random enough!!

[Liquidshokk]

^^^

 

I don't know if it's the same children, but I read on the BBC news website that two children (who were right next to one person when that person was killed) couldn't speak for a couple of hours because of shock. I dread to think what sort of long-lasting impact that'll have on those children.

 

I don't know if it's an age thing, but I get far more upset these days by things like this. And when children are hurt / abused / killed, I get quite distressed.

 

But then I seem to worry about the dangers my grandchildren might face more than I ever did when my children were little.

 

I don't know if that's mild hysteria caused by greater knowledge via the media or, as I say, just an 'age' thing.

 

Well maybe in about 40 years I'll feel something then