ANSWERS: 2
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Yes, people are actually hard-wired to react to those emergencies and tragedies closer to home. It was an instinctive survival trait in the distant past.
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I don't think sympathy is determined by geographic location but being able to relate to something is. When something 'hits close to home', it makes it seem much more concrete than just seeing images on the news. Something else interesting I've noticed that's kind of related... People who are very well-traveled seem to be more sensitive to foreign tragedies/charity causes. I think it goes back to just forming that emotional connection with a place that makes it more real.
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