I don't experience this kind of empathy very often. For example, I don't get upset when a plane crashes or there's a mass shooting. I can imagine myself in th

I don't experience this kind of empathy very often. For example, I don't get upset when a plane crashes or there's a mass shooting. I can imagine myself in the position of the victims. I can imagine if someone I loved died in a situation like that and I can simulate some of the grief and anger I think I'd feel. But that exercise seems sort of selfish to me. In general, these kind of tragic events don't affect my mood. I do sometimes experience this kind of empathy when I'm reading history or a human-interest story about some tragic or unfair situation. It seems to me that many people assume that all good behavior flows from empathy. I don't think this is true. I use various philosophical viewpoints to justify (or rationalize) my behavior: sometimes utilitarianism, sometimes the categorical imperative, and often a vague sort of humanism.