We’ve all seen the home video show predicated on the idea that testicular damage is hilarious. But what’s your first reaction when that affable dad takes a whiffle ball, toy airplane, golden retriever, piñata bat, donkey hoof, toddler’s elbow, malfunctioning lawn chair, oar, rake, or Frisbee to the groin? First you wince. And it’s quick: whack, wince, chuckle, repeat, for half an hour minus commercial breaks and a lead-in monologue for which even the host seems apologetic. We wince because of empathy: For a brief moment, we take the victim’s pain as our own.
But what’s our response to others’ psychological or social pain? We don’t wince immediately. Instead, our compassion takes longer to kick in. But once activated, it lingers longer than the vicarious pain of slapstick comedy.