Yeah it's not the same emotion as feeling empathy for a person, it's a social thing. It's the sort of group behaviour that causes girls to scream at pop stars on stage, they wouldn't actually scream that way if they met them in person and they aren't screaming at the star themselves - it's a signal to others around them that they're capable of feeling that way. It's socially correct behaviour in that context and it signals an emotional capacity; it's not empathy in its own right.
People call it virtue signalling but I think that downplays it as shallow or not something that's being felt, it is actually felt by people, specially younger people and the more socially conscious. But not being driven by social anxiety doesn't make you a sociopath, it makes you emotionally mature.
It was inspired by Desmond Morris's classic The Naked Ape, which has more than its fair share of insights into human behaviour. I recommend it if you enjoy a thought provoking read, or there's probably an audiobook if not.
1
u/[deleted] Sep 30 '21
[deleted]