Curiosity, plain and simple
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We all have a morbid curiosity to some extent. Even the optimistic poet Ralph Waldo Emerson had the inclination to open the coffin of his deceased wife a year after her death.
Recently, a widespread example of our morbid curiosity on display involved the video of Islamic militants beheading reporter James Foley. Millions viewed and shared this viral piece of real-life horror. Witnessing such a violent act provides powerful stimulation and makes our hearts beat out of our chests. In turn, this makes us feel more alive.
Eric Wilson, the author of Everyone Loves a Good Train Wreck says that maybe this type of curiosity is not to be fretted over. Even “the itch to touch a corpse,” Wilson writes, “is normal [and] noble.” On a more elevating note, Wilson also says that “our attraction to the macabre is, on some level, a desire to experience someone else’s suffering.”
Longing to empathize with others in order to form solid connections is certainly another method of evolutionary survival. That fact that we can’t stop clicking horrifying news stories is probably a positive thing. It proves that we still care about the world and its fate — which is ultimately the best news there is.
Next, discover how the internet is destroying your brain, according to science.
