[GoNative]

People will always feel something more strongly if they feel a personal connection. Just like one of the 10's of thousands of people who die naturally everyday has little effect on you or me unless we know one of them personally. People who feel a connection with Japan will have stronger emotions about this disaster than say the one in NZ. It would be nice to think we have the same compassion for anyone in the world but it's not like that in reality. Something like 10,000 children die everyday from completely preventable issues related to hunger. Do we mourn each and every single day this great loss of life? No we don't. Many would not even be aware of it. Because it all happens in countries they have little to no interest in. It's just the way the world is.