How can ANYONE think like this?

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I remember 2 years ago when I was I middle school, a class mate died in a car crash. The day the teachers told us what had happened, people told his best friend to his face that the crash was the kids fault. It kind of was his fault, but even I could see that that's not what you say to a grieving person. People said bad things about the kid to his parents after he died too, and I remember clearly people running through the halls shouting "yay he's dead, yay he's dead" as a joke. They thought it was funny. I can't understand this, he was a hugely popular kid, not mean to anyone, even excepting of people like me. No one could have been happy at his passing, so it had to be a joke. It's so sick. How could anyone think that's funny?

Just now, the school bus passed a really bad crash, blood everywhere, about three cars wrecked, an old couple, who looked shocked, and might have had heart attacks were visible in one car, in another, a blood covered teenager. There was blood and glass everywhere. A small number of the. NTs joked about how it was ok if the old couple died because they were old, and didn't have many years left anyway, and told other stupid jokes about the crash. How the hell can anyone think like this, and they think I'm the messed up one! Does anyone understand why it's funny, how people can joke about it after they see someone who could die? I just don't get it, NTs always confuse me, but this is just a whole new level of insanity. How is death in any way funny?

It's a defense mechanism. We tend to avoid things that disturb us, but when we're inadvertently faced with them, we generally try to make light of them to take our minds off the fact that we've come into contact with something disturbing. Generally, it involves black comedy, which is what you're experiencing. It's not uncommon at all.

I think you should transfer to a different school.

Some people think violent deaths are entertaining, thanks to Hollywood.

And this is why I will be teaching special education rather than general ed. I see atypical kids with more empathy and humanity in their pinky toe than some of the typical kids I've seen.

Maybe the kids were acting out of fear of their own mortality. Fear tends to make people do some hateful stuff.

I wonder if the internet and "troll culture" has made such ugly stuff more socially acceptable. I.e. the troll who mocked the parents of a girl who killed herself. If people see that maybe it makes it seem less of big deal to do the same IRL. It's like being sick f*** is almost "cool" these days.

I don't know.. I really don't think those sort of reactions are normal..

I don't like that, and I don't like the people who say "bullying victims deserve to be bullied" either. Somebody said that on another forum (not this one) and I tore them a new one for saying that. Even worse is hearing people say such things in real life.

I think it is internet culture. There are no consequences to saying the most repulsive crap using anonymous internet handles so kids these days are so desensitized to it that they think it's okay to be just as obnoxious in real life.

I think they should know better. Even if they are acting out of fear, the way they were behaving was completely unacceptable. I would have popped those losers in the mouth for saying such crap.

It is just always the same. Some people just joke about these things. I do not also understand why they do this. Maybe that's just how we humans are. It is quite sad and unjustified.

It's not unnatural. Humans usually enjoy violence of some kind.

It's called "gallows humor" or "whistling past the graveyard."

The thought behind it is that if you can be callous and crass about what upsets you, if you can laugh at what frightens you, then it's really not so upsetting or scary. You don't have to be upset or afraid.

It seems to stem from the AngloAmerican distaste for negative emotions of any kind. Crass, callous humor is considered "toughness." Weeping, shaking, showing fear or upset is considered "weakness."

People are really, really stupid.

The term "humanity," when applied to Homo sapiens, may also be a figure of speech.

I think you are probably right - but that doesn't make it ok.

It makes me feel sick when people behave this way. I thought it was Aspies who were suppose to lack empathy!

You do not have to get it, all you need to know is that the empatic factor in society is lower than you think. Group behaviour also affects how people act.

Fortunately, in life you are allowed to choose what people you surround yourself with.

I don't think it's OK, either, but it's just what we humans do. Sure, my fiends and I have been known to laugh at each other when we get hurt (usually for doing something obviously stupid, though, and nothing truly serious or life-threatening) but that doesn't mean we don't also immediately feel a large amount of concern for each other's safety, health and well-being when it happens, too. I have a lot of respect for the dead, and a lot of compassion for those who are sick, injured or otherwise suffering in some way, but I'm not completely guilt-free in that area myself, and I doubt anyone truly is.

It may also be a competition reflex, as well, dating back to early human behavior. When someone died, it meant one less person to compete with for natural resources and breeding rights. Those who made their 'alpha status' known during times of social and emotional vulnerability (often involving the death of a tribe/clan member) were probably more likely to remain un-challenged and gather those resources closer to them while also promoting the idea that the person who died was unfit to survive anyway, and that if you didn't want to end up like them, you should follow the living 'alpha'.

Or something like that, anyway.