History Main / RuleofEmpathy

* Karst in ''GoldenSun: The Lost Age'' has a large fan following, and not just because of [[MissFanservice what she wears]]. Her relatively large amount of screentime and [[YouKilledMyFather easily-relatable]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge motivation]] make her the most sympathetic [[AntiVillain antagonist]] in the series, and one of the most well-developed and sympathetic ''characters'' in the series, as well (though, considering it is ''GoldenSun'', [[FlatCharacter that's not saying much]]).

* Pretty much the whole point of WarbotInAccounting is to make the audience feel pity for another literal killing machine. Unlike [[TheSarahConnorChronicles Cameron]], however, this machine has no face, voice, appendages, ability to emote, and is basically a box with a giant camera lens coming out of the center. It works. [[TearJerker Painfully well]].

* An IKEA advertising campaign lampshaded this. One example showed a desk lamp be replaced and left out in the rain on the curbside. Cue sad music. The ad then proceeded to tell viewers they were crazy for having feelings for a lamp.

* This is one of the many, many tropes subverted by the beginning of NeilGaiman's ''BlackOrchid'' miniseries: a mook captures the title character, shoots her in the head, and sets her on fire to be sure she's dead.

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* DoctorWho pulls this ''all the freaking time'', by introducing us to so many good natured, likable, honest folks, and then killing them in cold blood. Such as poor Mo in the episode ''Hungry Earth'', who we first meet while trying to help his dyslexic son to read a book ("who loves you more than me?"). He survives, but he ''does'' end up being kidnapped and vivisected.[[hottip:*:They do put him back together without killing him, but [[NightmareFuel that's horrifying in an entirely different way]].]]

** We're given some particularly good reasons to empathise with [[DeadLittleSister Maximillion Crawford/Pegasus, who lost the woman he loved]] and has been trying to get her back ever since. Other villians such as Malik/Marik, who was forced into a role he didn't want to play his whole childhood and developed a huge bitterness towards the Pharaoh, Varon, whose home country was destroyed by a war fought with weapons supplied by Kaiba Corp - you know, before Kaiba corp did games - and Bakura, whose [[spoiler: entire village was slaughtered to create the Millennium items]], also engender a lot of empathy.

* Common in CrimeAndPunishment shows. If she is pretty she didn't do it. This evidence is reinforced if she is slight of build and especially if they have a winning personality. She can never have done it.

* DoctorWho pulls this ''all the freaking time'', by introducing us to so many good natured, likable, honest folks, and then kiling them in cold blood. Such as poor Mo in the episode ''Hungry Earth'', who we first meet while trying to help his dyslexic son to read a book ("who loves you more than me?"). He survives, but he ''does'' end up being kidnapped and vivisected.[[hottip:*:They do put him back together without killing him, but [[NightmareFuel that's horrifying in an entirely different way]].]]

* This was my topic in a speaking-intensive course recently. [[HumansAreSpecial Humans have]] an ability to empathize that will even have them feeling sorry for ''robots''. Doesn't even have to be humanoid (or animaloid). Witness the [[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/05/AR2007050501009_pf.html Army colonel]] who called a halt to the test of a mine-tripping bug-bot because it was "inhumane" and he couldn't stand the pathos of the poor thing dragging itself on. Or how a bunch of [[{{Badass}} Marine EOD techs]] requested the resurrection of [[{{Nakama}} their comrade]] "ScoobyDoo" the BombDisposal robot.
** [[http://xkcd.com/695/ This]] wouldn't be effective without the RuleOfEmpathy. They're robots and we're all rooting for them!
*** Because if we show enough care, love and empathy, we might circumvent the RobotWar altogether!

* Pretty much the whole point of WarbotInAccounting is to make the audience feel pity for another literal killing machine. Unlike [[TheSarahconnorChronicles Cameron]], however, this machine has no face, voice, appendages, ability to emote, and is basically a box with a giant camera lens coming out of the center. It works. [[TearJerker Painfully well]].

* DoctorWho pulls this ''all the freaking time'', by introducing us to so many good natured, likable, honest folks, and then kiling them in cold blood. Such as poor Mo in the episode ''Hungry Earth'', who we first meet while trying to help his dyslexic son to read a book ("who loves you more than me?"). He survives, but he ''does'' end up being kidnapped and dissected.

** Similarly, although the Buffy/Angel series wasn't afraid to kill off sympathetic characters [[spoiler:(Jenny Calendar, Joyce Summers, Tara, Doyle)]], if Willow had died the fans would have burned the studio down. Fred is a borderline case because the actor continued as Illyria.

->''You know what makes people different from animals? We're the only species on Earth that observes [[DiscoveryChannel Shark Week]]. ''Sharks'' don't even observe Shark Week; but we do. For the same reason, I can pick up this pencil, tell you it's name is Steve, and then go like this; ''[snaps it in half; gasps of horror]'' and part of you ''dies'', just a little bit on the inside. Because people can connect with ''anything''. We can sympathise with a pencil, we can forgive a shark, and [[TakeThat we can give Ben Affleck an Academy Award for Screenwriting]]. People can find the good in just about anything except themselves.''

* The reason most of Kenji's gang in [[TwentiethCenturyBoys 20th Century Boys]] survived while more than 90% of the world's population was wiped out.

* This was my topic in a speaking-intensive course recently. [[HumansAreSpecial Humans have]] an ability to empathize that will even have them feeling sorry for ''robots''. Doesn't even have to be humanoid (or animaloid). Witness the [[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/05/AR2007050501009_pf.html Army colonel]] who called a halt to the test of a mine-tripping bug-bot because it was "inhumane" and he couldn't stand the pathos of the poor thing dragging itself on. Or how a bunch of [[{{Badass}} Marine EOD techs]] requested the resurrection of [[{{Nakama}} their comrade]] "ScoobyDoo" the bomb disposal robot.

* KitNKayBoodle has the titular characters and one of their friends raping a girl as part of a crafty scheme; it's totally okay because the girl in question is an unsympathetic brat, and [[ItsNotRapeIfYouEnjoyedIt she started getting into it]] halfway in.

The rule of empathy also has a dark side. There is a fate worse than being a "neutral" InnocentBystander with no real attachment to the audience; characters who are notably '''un'''sympathetic will [[KarmaHoudini very likely]] be in for a world of hurt. Whether it's because they KickTheDog or do other heinous deeds that alienate them from ([[DracoInLeatherPants most]]) viewer's sympathies, these characters will have a comeuppance at the hands of [[LaserGuidedKarma something]] [[CallItKarma similar to karma]], ranging from the HumiliationConga, being HoistByHisOwnPetard, suffering a DeathByIrony, or falling to a FateWorseThanDeath.

* On a LighterAndSofter note(sort of) one Amish woman got a beer bottle thrown in her face by a passing driver. She was right away given plastic surgery from private contributions from people who did not know her.

** If you don't give even the slightest a damn about The Pharaoh after he [[spoiler: loses Yugi]] in the Oricalchos arc, then you have no soul.