Why Does Death Make Us Sad?

[Niliscro]

I've been thinking about this recently, and it's the sole reason why I can't focus on an essay right now.

1:  Why does death make people sad?
I've come to the conclusion that we are sad when someone dies because he/she was significant to us in some way.  Family, friends, etc.  However, if we mourn people's deaths because they were important to us, it is because we will never enjoy their company again, not because they died.  If someone went to live in isolation for the rest of their life, they would be "dead to us".  We would never enjoy their company again.  If, when someone died, we could continue to communicate with them, death wouldn't be anything worth mourning.

2:  With that point made, why is it such a big deal when someone who we didn't know dies? (hear me out here, I may sound extremely insensitive).
Take, for the best current example, the Haitian disaster.  Yes, it is terrible that those people died, since life is the only thing we have; it is everything we have.  Yet people can become very defensive when I tell them that while the death of those people is bad, I do not feel any emotion for the deceased.  Once someone is dead, they are dead, and that's the end of it.  If, according to my first point, we only feel sad about someone's death because they were important to us, why would we feel sad/concerned about the death of someone who was not important to us?

My second point wasn't really a point, but an open question that I would appreciate feedback on.
My only answer to #2 is that we are raised like that.  When 9-11 happened, I was in 3rd grade.  Were that to happen now, I wouldn't be sad/upset/concerned for the deaths of those people, but I would feel sad/upset/concerned because it was a strike to my country (which has meaning to me).  However, when it happened, I cried and was sad because that's how everyone else was.  It was proper etiquette, if you will.  So what I believe is that we are raised to be sensitive towards human life, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does us no good, either.

Feedback?

(tl;dr - forget you)

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[Muzzles56]

Woah
Good point(s)

[Inv3rted]

Death elsewhere is impersonal, so the best way to understand it is to imagine it happening to yourself. That's what I do in order to feel sympathy.

When I witnessed the 9-11 attacks happened, I was only 8 years old. I cried because the WTC towers were my second favorite buildings in the city. I didn't think about the people in it until later.

[Jellypuddle]

Death elsewhere is impersonal, so the best way to understand it is to imagine it happening to yourself. That's what I do in order to feel sympathy.

When I witnessed the 9-11 attacks happened, I was only 8 years old. I cried because the WTC towers were my second favorite buildings in the city. I didn't think about the people in it until later.

^

[Niliscro]

Death elsewhere is impersonal, so the best way to understand it is to imagine it happening to yourself. That's what I do in order to feel sympathy.

When I witnessed the 9-11 attacks happened, I was only 8 years old. I cried because the WTC towers were my second favorite buildings in the city. I didn't think about the people in it until later.

I tried applying it to myself, but it doesn't work.

I would think you of all people would understand the following statement:  I don't care if I die, I actually wouldn't be capable of caring, anyway.

[Choneis]

I feel sympathy for the people who did know them. And also sadness for the fact that we will never enjoy their company.

[Madmitten]

When I saw 9-11
I was like:
whoa that building sploded
.....
well, BACK TO MARIO


I really did not care at all.
when my aunt died
I was like:
omg my aunt died
well, BACK TO SONIC


I may just be an insensitive jerk

[Niliscro]

I feel sympathy for the people who did know them.

This I can understand, however

And also sadness for the fact that we will never enjoy their company.

This I cannot.  Are you saying you would be sad that you can no longer enjoy the company of someone you have never met?  Someone who hasn't even minutely affected you?

I may just be an insensitive jerk

No, you're just pathetically non-complex.

[Riot]

 Death isn't normal, we were not made to die. There is just no gene information that tells the body to get old and die, death is cellular decay. Basically death is a sickness everyone gets, in a way that we cant understand yet.
 
 This message was approved by all scientific studies.

[dkamm65]

Death isn't normal, Wrong.

we were not made to die. There is just no gene information that tells the body to get old and die, death is cellular decay. Basically death is a sickness everyone gets, in a way that we cant understand yet. Correct.
 

[Bisjac]

I don't feel bad for Haitians. they have more food and water now with the aid, then they had before.
they should have disasters more often for their own good.

[Jellypuddle]

@OP

i see..

[Riot]

 Death of old age isn't normal is what I meant when I said death isn't normal.

[Madmitten]

This I can understand, however
This I cannot.  Are you saying you would be sad that you can no longer enjoy the company of someone you have never met?  Someone who hasn't even minutely affected you?
No, you're just pathetically non-complex.

what do you mean non-complex
I haven't cared for much stuff.
Mostly because I was always angry as a child
Then I just stopped caring about stuff.
besides my grades.
And I haven't cared about much stuff since

PLUS
9-11 was just a way of the terrorists saying
HAY GUISE
WE GONNA BOMB YER BILDING NAO
WHY?
BECAUSE WE GET OUR BILDINGS BOMBED EVERYDAY
SO YOO CAN SEE WUT IT BE LIKE

[dkamm65]

Death of old age isn't normal is what I meant when I said death isn't normal.

Oh, kk.