AIBU to think that it's natural to be more concerned about things that could affect you?

[Chocolatericecakeaddict]

This applies to a lot of things but I keep seeing people saying that people are more concerned by war in Europe than war in Somalia for example or that they're more concerned about their business going under than protecting strangers from Covid.

Why would you not be more concerned by things that will affect you? It's human nature surely. We'd all be more concerned if an accident happened to our family and friends than we would be if it happened to a stranger even though the stranger's life is no less valuable.

Likewise if there's a major incident in my street or town we'd be more concerned by it than if it happened in a town that we had no connections with. I have relatives in Queensland who are trapped by the current flooding and I'm very concerned about them. If I read about it but had no connections there then I'd still feel for the people affected but my level of concern is unlikely to be quite the same,

That doesn't mean that we shouldn't do more or give more thought to conflicts and disasters in other nations. We absolutely should especially as many Western nations may have helped cause/contribute to those and that recognising our shared humanity is essential to improving the world and all our lives but I can't say I know many people who are so altruistic that they wouldn't be more concerned by something happening to their loves one or in their area than they would be about strangers?

I agree. War in Ukraine is much more concerning than war in Africa or Asia. There's a much greater chance of it spreading here.

Generally I don't get bothered by disasters in faraway places because they don't affect me. A tsunami in the Pacific is unfortunate for the people that get caught up in it, but a tsunami in the Atlantic would be much more devastating because we could be directly affected.

It's just human nature like you say, we have more empathy to those we understand better.

Realistically though, war between Russia and the EU/NATO is genuinely a greater threat than some civil war in Africa though. A war in Africa won't result in a nuclear apocalypse because they don't have the appropriate firepower to spread their conflict globally. Russia does.

I agree. However some people will take any opportunity to push their own agendas and seize the opportunity to call others racist or imply they Don't Care About People With Brown Faces. I find it quite disgusting actually and really resent these types efforts to racialise any issue or discussion, no matter how distressing or worrying.