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These Stories About Broken Things Prove That Human Empathy Has No Limits
One could easily argue that empathy is our, as human kind’s, defining characteristic. Although studies show that certain other species posses this feature, empathy in humans is, perhaps, the easiest to recognize. And it’s no wonder that we understand and relate to each other, with vast majority understanding not only a fellow human’s, but also a puppy’s or baby elephant’s misery. However, we rarely think of how we actually relate to and perceive suffering in inanimate objects. It’s, perhaps, most apparent in the way children treat their dolls and plush toys, but it also extends to other items. People of Tumblr shared some stories of how they treat broken things and it’s absolutely fascinating as well as… relatable? Scroll down to read what they had to say and tell us what you think! (Facebook cover image: Daniel Morrison)
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Kiss Army 7 years ago
I normally adhere to "adopt, don't shop" but once my husband and I were in a pet store around Easter getting supplies for our pets and they had bunnies for sale and one of them was missing half his ear. I thought for sure no one would get him because they wanted perfect "Easter" bunnies, so we bought him. His name was Booboo and he was awesome!!
Naomi Armitage 7 years ago
Something must have happened to me as a kid, because to this day (I'm almost 50), the sight of a balloon flying away breaks my heart. Maybe it's the idea of something you liked (loved?) that's going away and you can never get it back. I can't deal.
diane a 7 years ago
I have a balloon phopia - cant bear touching them in case they pop . All originated from a childrens party game where we had to race to a chair and sit on the balloon to pop it. Really hurts on bare legs
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Melissa Nunya 7 years ago
I used to house sit for a lady who bought all the dying scraggly plants that were marked way down at the nursery :) she saved most of them
K. LNU 7 years ago
I love the "sale" plants at the garden stores. Almost all my flowers and small bushes were those poor things left on the shelves. (Strangely, they seem to last longer, grow bigger than those that were not on sale.)
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Bored Fox 7 years ago
When I was a teenager I bought from a flea market a really ugly decorative pillow cover that probably some child had made. The picture was a very poorly made embroidery of a strange looking animal. I thought that probably no one else wants to buy it so I bought it. Sadly my mom thought that pillow cover was too ugly so she threw it away couple of years after that. :(
PyroarRanger 7 years ago
This is so true... I can't give away certain things because they remind me of things.. I can't give away certain things because it makes me sad.
Melody Shanahan-Kluth 7 years ago
I buy the broken and odd looking cacti when I go to garden centres, so I can take them home and look after tham
Dian Ella Lillie 7 years ago
I have a very close middle-aged male relative (whom I won't identify to protect the last vestiges of his dignity!) who, if he's at work and finds a pebble from his driveway caught in his shoe, will carefully put it in his pocket and take it back home at the end of the day so that it can be with its friends...
Aish Siva 7 years ago
Wow I thought I was alone in this world on this. My parents are from a culture where black is typically considered not a good color. We don't even wear it to mourn. Anyway, having heard this and seeing that no kid at school ever wanted the black thing, I made black my favorite color because I felt really bad that no one liked it. I wanted black to be loved like all the other colors.
diane a 7 years ago (edited)
I still have my dad's tiny little hobnailed wooden soled shoes from when he was age 2 in 1929 - would not part with them for the world - with photos of him wearing them
Load More Replies... Kiss Army 7 years ago
I normally adhere to "adopt, don't shop" but once my husband and I were in a pet store around Easter getting supplies for our pets and they had bunnies for sale and one of them was missing half his ear. I thought for sure no one would get him because they wanted perfect "Easter" bunnies, so we bought him. His name was Booboo and he was awesome!!
Naomi Armitage 7 years ago
Something must have happened to me as a kid, because to this day (I'm almost 50), the sight of a balloon flying away breaks my heart. Maybe it's the idea of something you liked (loved?) that's going away and you can never get it back. I can't deal.
diane a 7 years ago
I have a balloon phopia - cant bear touching them in case they pop . All originated from a childrens party game where we had to race to a chair and sit on the balloon to pop it. Really hurts on bare legs
Load More Replies... Melissa Nunya 7 years ago
I used to house sit for a lady who bought all the dying scraggly plants that were marked way down at the nursery :) she saved most of them
K. LNU 7 years ago
I love the "sale" plants at the garden stores. Almost all my flowers and small bushes were those poor things left on the shelves. (Strangely, they seem to last longer, grow bigger than those that were not on sale.)
Load More Replies... Bored Fox 7 years ago
When I was a teenager I bought from a flea market a really ugly decorative pillow cover that probably some child had made. The picture was a very poorly made embroidery of a strange looking animal. I thought that probably no one else wants to buy it so I bought it. Sadly my mom thought that pillow cover was too ugly so she threw it away couple of years after that. :(
PyroarRanger 7 years ago
This is so true... I can't give away certain things because they remind me of things.. I can't give away certain things because it makes me sad.
Melody Shanahan-Kluth 7 years ago
I buy the broken and odd looking cacti when I go to garden centres, so I can take them home and look after tham
Dian Ella Lillie 7 years ago
I have a very close middle-aged male relative (whom I won't identify to protect the last vestiges of his dignity!) who, if he's at work and finds a pebble from his driveway caught in his shoe, will carefully put it in his pocket and take it back home at the end of the day so that it can be with its friends...
Aish Siva 7 years ago
Wow I thought I was alone in this world on this. My parents are from a culture where black is typically considered not a good color. We don't even wear it to mourn. Anyway, having heard this and seeing that no kid at school ever wanted the black thing, I made black my favorite color because I felt really bad that no one liked it. I wanted black to be loved like all the other colors.
diane a 7 years ago (edited)
I still have my dad's tiny little hobnailed wooden soled shoes from when he was age 2 in 1929 - would not part with them for the world - with photos of him wearing them
Load More Replies...
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