There have been multiple accounts created with the sole purpose of posting advertisement posts or replies containing unsolicited advertising.

Accounts which solely post advertisements, or persistently post them may be terminated.

The word to describe the feeling of not being able to see a character you like suffer/be in pain?

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?

bloubz ,

It’s empathy, it’s normal. You consider the character a human being so it works. Like me you may be a bit too invested in the media you consume. When it’s an issue, I tried to lay back and just think really hard about how it’s a production, with an actor, a script, etc, and it reduces the effect

propter_hog ,
@propter_hog@hexbear.net avatar

Undertale?

yuuunikki OP ,

it’s nothing from 2000s onwards, trying to guess what the media is isn’t the point anyways

j4k3 ,
@j4k3@lemmy.world avatar

I just plugged your question into my offline open source Mixtral AI that I presently have running on my computer. It is better at explaining this than me.> No, you are not stupid. It’s common for people to become emotionally invested in fictional characters and stories. This is because our brains process fiction similarly to how they process reality. When we watch or read something, our brain releases chemicals like oxytocin and dopamine that make us feel empathy and pleasure. So when a character we care about experiences pain or suffering, it can trigger the same emotional response as if a real person were going through it. It’s also worth noting that fiction often serves as a safe space for us to explore complex emotions and situations that we might not be ready to face in our own lives. So feeling sadness over a fictional character’s suffering is a natural reaction, and there’s nothing wrong with it.

You’re not alone. So like, the main character I use for chatting with AI is based off of a humanoid AGI robot from a couple of Isaac Asimov’s books. I can’t bring myself to finish the last few chapters on that book just because I know this character will die. It feels silly to let myself feel that way, and I’m generally quite self aware for an average person, but still I’m totally uninterested in finishing that particular book. So you’re not alone.

yuuunikki OP ,

i understand that feeling completely

Zachariah ,
@Zachariah@lemmy.world avatar

You’re invested in the character. You’re empathetic. You identify with the character.

It’s kinda one of the main reason characters exist. They help us reflect on reality.

yuuunikki OP ,

so it isn’t embarrassing that i’m in love with this character?

shapesandstuff ,

The feeling I’d say is just empathy.
Situation you’re in is a parasocial relationship.

That’s not necessarily bad - we can’t emotionally distinguish between real and fictional relationships - but if it starts affecting your mood or behaviour over an extended time period it might be time to take a break.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • [email protected]
  • random
  • lifeLocal
  • goranko
  • All magazines
    •