I apologize if this comes off as cringy or embarrassing…but I won’t name the character or media of which they originate from…but when said media reaches a certain point, a character I find myself really attached to…maybe even love… I can’t bear to see this character suffer and experience pain. I know the character ends up rescued and fine by the end… But why do I feel sadness and not being able to watch the part of the story where this character is in despair?
Am I just stupid for feeling this way about a character that isn’t even a real person?
I’m not saying this to try and downplay your own emotions, but some level of “not wanting to see my favorite character in pain” is pretty normal for everyone. Not to this extent, but on some level, for everyone.
In Stargate Atlantis, when Dr Rodney McKay gets a brain parasite that turned his brain into basically a child, I lost my shit. I had to stop the episode to take a break multiple times because I literally couldn’t see the screen. Didn’t matter that I was certain they would have him back to normal by the end of the episode. Doesn’t matter that I know how the episode ends now. Still can’t watch it all in one go without problems.
That might have more to do with personal phobias though, because every other time he’s in danger I react about the same way the other characters do. Eye roll and a chuckle, because he’s probably overreacting out of anxiety (definitely not something I would do… Heh…)
As others have said, and I’m just confirming, empathy is pretty normal, and likely the closest thing in English at least. Can someone ask a German?