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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

I’m asking as I’m trying to understand empathy and whether it’s normal to get so invested in fake characters, I mean it’s probably a testament to the writers but I overthink… a lot.

This question was bright on as I’ve been catching up on The Blacklist and at lunch today watching Season 8 Episode name “Anne “ and it wrecked me.

Tap for spoilerBasically the main character Red has to live a guarded life and for once he let it form and got close to Anne and you could tell shit was going to go downhill and it destroyed me when you think about it from his or her perspective.

For reference I’m 41 year old dude, not that it matters.

Edit: Bedtime for me but back tomorrow to reply to all.

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[-] three@lemmy.zip 42 points 1 week ago

Yeah buddy, it's normal to feel your feelings.

I guess I grew up with people without feelings as when I raised with this my closest friends (5), none of them admitted to it. I know they could lie but I also don’t know how invested they get in to media.

[-] three@lemmy.zip 14 points 1 week ago

They might be, they might not be. It's entirely possible that they don't interact with any media that contains emotions past shooting a gun. I've cried to music, movies, and books. Art (paintings, sculptures, etc) I've never had that reaction.

I think you’re on to something about them not really focusing on the same kind of media I gravitate towards, complex characters with a moral grey area.

Trying to think if I’ve cried over a book, the most emotional I can recall is the Steig Larsson millennium trilogy, but not sure if I cried was more psyched up for the story.

Art. Never, music lyrics yes but not musical pieces like classical which I listen to a lot. Going to try opera soon so maybe there. I can see people crying at art but I don’t think I understand art enough to even get to that level of emotional connection.

[-] ChocoboEnthusiast@leminal.space 14 points 1 week ago

I mean this really speaks to the power of the human mind. We can put ourselves into someone else's shoes and experience what they're feeling. No other animal can do that that we can 100% prove. Enjoy that you have the ability to care for someone from finding out their story. It's a good and proper skill to have.

Thanks, this is what I was hoping to touch on. The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, even if that person is a terrible person I find it fascinating that we can still have some empathy for their predicament even if it’s kinda deserved.

Makes me wonder if it’s a scale sort of thing where some people are balling theirs out and another is untouched. Then how does this translate to real life? Like is that why my friends can’t understand why I would spend my time on Pro-Palestine matches for instance, is it a lack of empathy.

Apologies, for being deep on bloody Lemmy.

[-] BertramDitore@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week ago

Yeah, empathy is a very underrated and powerful emotion for us humans. It’s also one of the few emotions that can be learned, practiced, and improved (for most people).

I usually feel like an exposed nerve when I’m watching something even a little emotional, so I cry pretty hard. Sometimes I even find myself properly sobbing. But almost without exception I feel better afterwards, like I’ve purged something nasty from my body. I love that post-cry feeling.

I’d say someone who doesn’t understand why you go to Pro-Palestine marches probably has an empathy deficiency (if they’re even remotely aware of what’s going on in Palestine). But that’s a great opportunity to invite them to improve their own sense of empathy by joining you, or having an open-minded and genuine conversation with a Palestinian about their personal experiences (or watching an interview if they don’t know anyone personally). I find hearing about someone’s experiences living with atrocities happening all around them, in their own voice, should quickly dig up nearly anyone’s latent empathy. But it takes work for those who it doesn’t come to naturally, and those are the people who are probably least likely to put in the work.

[-] Soapbox@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 week ago

I often tear up from scenes from movies and tv. Yet basically never do for anything in real life.

I was listening to an NPR story the other day about how a ton of people showed up to donate blood to save an infant, and only one was a match, but it was anonymous, now the kid is a healthy 20yr old and the mom can't thank the person who saved them. It had my eyes all mushy on my commute home.

Yet, I had a cousin, and an uncle pass within the last few months and while I was sad, and I miss them, not a tear generated.

[-] USSEthernet@startrek.website 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I'm the same way. My wife actually gives me shit for it because she doesn't understand how I can't have more feelings for those around me. I don't think I'd shed a tear or even feel that emotional for anyone in my extended family dying. Just my wife and kids. Makes me question if there's something wrong with me.

She can tell me some sad real life story and it doesn't affect me. But movies, shows, books, and games can have me tear up or bawling.

[-] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Same here. When my grandfather, who I was very close with, passed away, I never cried. But I bawled like a baby at Toy Story 3.

I think it's the soundtrack. If someone had told me about my grandfather while some emotional string music swelled, I probably would have cried.

[-] zzffyfajzkzhnsweqm@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I do. 25M. For movies, lyrics, stories... Can be most casual things for most people. But I detected some special meaning and I have tears in my eyes. I for some reason got more and more emotional since I was 18. Not sure why though. I hope anyone has some kind of ideas.

I find this strange since I do not consider myself very empatic. And I also consider word empathy cringe since it is often misused to demonize political opponents.

Yeah lyrics is another one I forgot to mention. It’s shocking how many people listen to songs but they don’t listen to the words.

I too am intrigued as to why it seems to have made you more emotional since 18 and hope we get some good responses here.

Interesting that you don’t consider yourself empathetic as I think I have too much at times and it’s a detriment to my own wellbeing.

Sounds like a right freak saying I have too much empathy but I didn’t know how to word it. I guess too much relative to the people I grew up with and my family, that sounds better.

I think I can enable or disable my empathy. I could say cold hearted to a person to stop crying and do the right thing. I could even hit a child as a punishment if that were any useful. and give them a better life because of that (it does not work, so I won't). I am not sure if that even is the real definition of empathy.

But this feeling cannot be empathy since it is does not have to involve relating to another being. It could be some deep and meaningful idea or point or moral of a story. Those usually get me the most.

[-] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago

I have cried over so much made up shit

Seems we’re all in good company here, my fellow stoner. Although I tend not to fuck sharks, I’m a dolphin man.

[-] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago

CW: gross sexual commentThe dolphin pussy juice hits different I will concur

Definitely in good company 😂

[-] otacon239@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

I didn’t for most of my life. Just in the last year, there have been a few movies to just get my tears rolling.

The two recent ones that hit hard were Everything, Everywhere All At Once and of all things, 101 Dalmatians. Just something about the way they’re drawn and the amount of care in every scene made the dogs feel so much more real than modern animation and the sad scenes just cut through.

Few people have said this, I guess it makes sense that you can empathise more as you get older as you’ve experienced more, maybe I don’t know.

I really need to bump everything, everywhere, all at once up my to watch list as I never hear bad things.

Sadly 101 is another I’ve not seen. I’ll add it. Only started watching movies probably a couple of years ago do I’ve got lots of classics to catch up with.

[-] Typewar@infosec.pub 3 points 1 week ago

I don't know about you, but I feel sad watching the grass cutter robots just.. cut grass all day. Do you think the robot even wants to do it? The program forces it to cut grass. It's cruel

[-] Zorque@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Have you seen the Love, Death, and Robots episode Zima Blue?

[-] maniel@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago

Also 41 yo dude here, crying on movies, nah, I cry on books too, not that I'm invested in those fake characters, rather I take their situations as my own, daydreaming about me in their shoes

Interesting. Could it not be said if you’re putting yourself in the shoes of characters, then you must be invested? Like you’ve invested time, emotion, and empathy for the situation.

[-] hakunawazo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Aww man I’ve only seen one of these and I’m not even sure what 1 and 2 are from, but The Green Mile is another one I’ve sobbed my eyes out too.

We saying I need to watch The Lion King, Bambi?, and whatever the other two are.

I’ve been watching slot of movies recently as never really was a movie guy so I’ll add these to my perfectly legal media server.

[-] DasFaultier@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago

Damn, UP nearly killed me! I mean, he loses Elli (yes, i know that name and it made it hit doubly hard) AND the dog?

(Also, there seems to be an updog joke hidden somewhere in here, but I can't seem to find it.)

[-] runner_g@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 week ago

Totally normal to get emotional about things that resonate with us. I recently rewatches the new d&d movie and cried twice. Found family stories tend to get me.

[-] SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 week ago

I cry so often when I watch movies. It sometimes feels pathetic 😅

[-] DasFaultier@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Yeah man, all the time, and for the stupidest shit. Everything from children's series to grown-up movies. My wife sometimes side-eyes me for it, but she's not much better herself and usually, when one of us cries the other one joins in. It's become a cute thing between us to catch or make the other one do it first, and I love it. Also, it's a way to teach my little son that it's OK to cry and not a matter of shame. Yes, ugly cry as well. Yes, also in front of others.

For reference I’m a 39 year old dude, not that it matters.

EDIT because I saw it in the thread: Lyrics! I have songs that I can't listen to while driving, because I can't drive while I ugly cry because that wouldn't be safe.

One thing that especially hits me are acts of selflessness, be it in fiction or the actual real world. We have semi-regular floods on the river meat where I live, and I usually try to volunteer to help out with sand barriers. And everytime just seeing all those people coming together in their free time, getting wet and dirty and sweaty and exhausted, not expecting a single thing, just because it's the right thing to do and because apparently we look after one another in this 600k people city... Just typing it out makes me tear up again.

[-] lime@feddit.nu 1 points 1 week ago

bro i cry at chords.

[-] MyBrainHurts@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

It's funny, I was pretty much in your shoes (who cries at imaginary people?) For most things. Then covid hit, something flipped and damn, I'm pretty sure I've had tears in more movies in the last 3 years than the 30 before that.

[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 week ago

I cry depending on how engaging the story and characters are. Also, depends on what’s going on in my life. After the end of a relationship or loss of a loved one, I might be more sensitive and raw. Similar demographic to you.

[-] selkiesidhe@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago

All the time. I mean, I got misty over Smoke's death scene in Sinners lol

Wanna have sad happy tears? Videos of nervy squervy cats. Poor sweet things trying to live their best lives but have trouble moving! Omg 😭❤️😭

[-] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Less often with movies/TV/books than music for me, but I'll still tear up to a movie or show sometimes if I don't feel like I'm being beat over the head by the music pushing a feeling than engaged with the story and characters.

[-] raltoid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

While some lie about it or try to deny or even suppress it, most people have at least a few scenes that make them cry.

Pretty sure I could make a few people tear up by just quoting a single line:

Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit.

When it's good, certainly. We gotta grab whatever chance we have to feel things intensely, unless the moment doesn't call for it, before our time is up and we can't anymore!

[-] Fletcher@lemmy.today 1 points 1 week ago

I cry (or at least feel a very strong impulse to cry) from good stories all the time. If the stories you're partaking of aren't making you feel something, then I feel as though they're a waste of time and not really well written.

this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
57 points (96.7% liked)

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