I can't believe people are capable of growing attached to a near mindless animal that doesn't give two stuffs about them. For fish, it's all about the food. Nothing else. Also, considering goldfish are so freaking common as pets, it's pretty uninteresting to have one.
Owning a pet is about appreciation of the creature, not its intellectual capability.
I can't speak for others, but when I had a fish tank I often used it as a stress reliever. I watched the little creatures inside the tank go from big to small and took amusement in their habits.
You love pets like fish because you find them fascinating, or you find a particular fish cute, or you like their behavior or how they look, or you simply (and hopefully) respect them as living things.
People grow attached to creatures like fish the same way they grow attached to objects. We are defined by what we own and we can get sentimental about such things because we associate them with good feelings and times in your life.
And at the end of the day, something you care for has died. It is saddening. We humanize all kind of pets, from fish to dogs. Its just how we are.
Now a dog or cat on the other hand are great pets that deserve love and respect. Stop crying over a stupid fish and get a real pet.
I find dogs intolerable and annoying.
Aquarium ownership is different. Owning a fish is not like owning a dog. Owning a dog is not like owning a cat. Owning a cat is not like owning a bird.
You buy pets based on what you like, what you can afford, what you can manage, and other factors (if you live in a rental that allows pets or doesn't allow them, if you have small kids, etc).
