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I agree completely. I tend to ignore utter strangers unless they directly affect me.

Situations like this are exactly why I always keep in my glovebox a long string tied to a strong magnet made with a hole through the middle. I have gained a distaste for storm drains . . . stare

Finding this sort of thing humorous is far from "wrong." To get into the basis for this assumption would be to delve too far into the mechanics of the human brain (in relation to humor) to be relevant to this sort of topic. Let's suffice it to say we have all enjoyed things that are so exaggeratedly stereotypical they are funny (as well as "running gags" and slap-stick humor) You see these things within media so much they have almost become their own institution, or "memes," if you will.

For example, most of you are probably familiar with the stereotype that mexicans stuff as many people into one vehicle as possible. The other day I was driving down the road and was passed by a 3 seater pick-up truck blasting "grassroots" Mexican music and counted at least 6 heads, all Mexican, of course. The truck was being used to haul a full sized round bail of hay down the road-obviously they could not see out the back window. Farther down the road they had to make a turn off, but both rear-view mirrors had somehow been ripped off. So I see a hand with a little pink vanity mirror (the plastic kind you would expect a little old lady to use) peek it's way out one of the side windows and "take a gander" at the position of the other vehicles around the truck. The lights were all busted out, so they used hand signals instead of turn signals. By this point I was afraid I would have to pull over I was laughing so hard, and not because I was making fun of them. I say bless those happy little bastards, they made my day!

Some things are so stereotypical you would never even expect to see them in everyday life, and personally, it makes me happy to see the unexpected. Laughter also does not necessarily connotate empathizing with the situation of the "victim." You were not laughing at the man over the drain cover because you were hoping he was late to work, (at least I hope not!) it was simply a strange situation that struck a particular relevance to you. I would laugh too, but I would also help him out if I was walking by, as I assume you would.

This is where I fail to understand the typical understanding of "kindness to others." Laughter, which can be equated with happiness, is considered a negative attribute in many situations, regardless of whether you helped the person or not. A certain seriousness, or even fruitless worry, about the situation is considered a positive attribute of a kind and generous person. And here I always had a vision of such a person being happy and unconcerned with the negative emotions directed towards them.

I wrote all that and we still come to the same conclusion. I don't get people. xp

As long as it isn't inconvenient to me to do so, I will also help people. Like if I see someone stranded at the side of the road I stop and make sure that they are okay and let them use my cellphone or give them a ride to the nearest gas station, if I don't have anywhere I really need to be and its not going to cause a problem.

Yeah, it can be.

This is the same flaw I see in eating something just because children in Ethiopia go hungry.

If I wanted to help the Ethiopian people I'd do something about it (not just give my money to some organization that will probably use half my money for themselves). I don't see why I should stuff myself. It doesn't quell the Ethiopians' hunger, now does it?

Complusion sucks. It is the reason why some morbidly obese people are obese in the first place. They will order 3 hamburgers at a restaraunt, eat 2, and feel guilty for buying the 3rd one to waste so they'll eat it anyway. The whole time these people want to sue McDonalds.

That's makes a whole bunch of sense - except not really.

i love it when bad things happen to other people rofl