Why people feel the need to watch a train wreck.

I was just sitting here watching the news which was covering a story about some children who made a video mimicking an Iraq beheading. Right before they ran the footage they announced.......the footage you are about to see may be disturbing.

I must admit I actually turned to look for a second. I have to wonder what is it about humans that makes us do these things? I mean is this inherently built into us? I think probably everyone has been guilty of rubbernecking at one time or another. SO to that end,

Have you ever rubbernecked?
Did you feel guilty about it?
Why do you think people do it?

hmmmm 6 views and no posts...either no one has any answers or they are all feeling guilty lol

guilt here JP..I've rubber necked..I don't mean to,and feel like crap afterward..but i've done it.

I have no idea what compels us to.

I don't know...but it is disturbing. Natural human curiousity, I guess. 😑

It's simple. Those acts are interesting.

It's happened to me...on the news "the following pictures may be grisly", are something like that, pics of Iraqi casualties...and my first thought, "just look the **** away" but something in me made me watch...I dunno what it is.

Curiosity really I think.

Originally posted by silver_tears
Curiosity really I think.

ok I can buy that up to a point......but then why dont we look away after the initial curiosity is satisfied?

BF you crack me up man! 😆

the appropriate way would be to just continue your course of actions, undisturbed. I find it as much odd to turn your head away, as actually being curious about it. It's the way of nature...things happen...why look away. just be passive

ah but somethings turn your stomach and not to mention would you want a bunch of people staring at you?

you're blaiming the media there..for interfering in the event...and that's a whole different discussion. But what i'm saying is that it shouldn't turn your stomach. Human begins used to eat raw meat, hunt it themselves..etc. The instinct is still in us 🙂...maybe that's why we look. but it should definitely leave us ...let's say LESS impressed.

My English teacher explained this, only I forgot what he said, exactly. I'm pretty sure it was something to do with curiosity, and possibly something to do with having to see if it's real. You know, the whole "have to see it to believe it". I forget the rest, but I hope that answers your question. Curiosity is definitely right though, my english teacher's the smartest person I know.

OK I'll buy the "have to see it to believe it theory"

If you can stomach it, I say look. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back!

Originally posted by Serious Hiker
If you can stomach it, I say look. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back!

😆 😆

BUT, would you want other people looking at you during one of your worst moments? I think I'd be mortified. bag

Well if you are asking why people watch all kind of crap, you have to wander why we watch movies, why we watch soap operas.

We in that respect enjoy watching other people's misery, because it makes our life looks less depressing (greeks released this when they first started the thathres and plays)

Its a subconcious thing, but its there.

I guess the reason we have to see it,(real life thing) its curiosity for the most part, but i think we want to see discustingness and how much worse it can get.

When you are sat there watching a train wreck, you feel way more apprecative of your life and your stuff and think: ''thank god i wasnt there'' and when you see a beheading you think: ''Thank god i dont live in Iraq'' etc...

Its just what we do i guess. Im not too keen on any discustingness, but i simply have to go on rotten.com and see some nasty shit. Its disturbing, but it makes people appreciate certain things.

Originally posted by Jedi Priestess
😆 😆

BUT, would you want other people looking at you during one of your worst moments? I think I'd be mortified. bag

If I was going through a horrific moment, I really doubt I'd be worried about who was watching. It's not as if the last thing I'll do before a truck hits me is check my hair in the shiny bumper.......... 🙄

LMAO that is SO not what I meant! lol I'll give you an example...about 15 years ago I had a bad car wreck. And I mean bad enough that the damn news crews were there. So here I am while they are trying to get me out of this little truck which had been hit by another car and then hit a house and in the haze I was very aware of all the rubberneckers etc. I remember thinking wtf are looking at? GO AWAY! see where I'm coming from?

ppl just do that cause they hope they get something interesting to see. and they stand there watching and thinking to themselves: "thank god it's not me".

Morbid fascination?
I think Aini is partly right, there is some "Uhoh, God thing that isn't me", but I also think there's one part "Can I help" there as well.
Don't make humans more evil than we are.