I understand where Typhoid is coming from. For a human, it's practically impossible to feel great sadness for someone you dont even know. The realistic fact is, no matter how much you deny it, one of the first things you think of is "glad it wasn't me". Most people feel very guilty and wrong when they think that, but what they dont understand is that almost everyone else thought the same thing.
What makes you a good person is that you DO feel guilty for thinking "glad it wasn't me". The sad thing is, the people who really shouldnt feel guilty always do, and the people who SHOULD feel guilt never do.
A student at my high school died earlier this year...it was very sad, but I didnt know the guy at all. I just knew his face. I felt very sorry for him, because his life was so short, and I felt very sorry for his family, especially his parents, but that was about it. I pitied them. I didn't cry, and I never felt the urge to cry. It made me realize that some of the things I was worrying over was kind of petty, but still, not a lot of emotion coming from me.
If he had been one of my best friends or a relative, things would have been a lot different. I would not have instantly, subconsiously thought "glad it wasn't me", because I realize that I would rather die than one of my family or very close friends.
But I didnt feel a lot of sadness. No great swelling of emotion, just pity. I pity the girl that died at your school, and I pity her family. To die so young is a tragedy.
But other than that, I'm not affected. I didnt know her, just like I didnt know the guy at my school.
Like typhoid said, i'm not cold or heartless, I'm just human, and unlike some people, I realize I'm human and that for me to feel great sadness for every person that dies, whether I know them or not, would be ludicrous. I would go insane or die from the stress.
I would go as far as to say that it annoys me, yes annoys, me when I see people crying or professing this great sadness and horrific feelings that they are having towards a person who died, when they dont even really know that person. If it was one of the persons friends or family, I wouldn't mind at all. In fact, I would encourage them to cry and let out there emotions. But when I saw some of my peers who DIDNT EVEN KNOW HIM, but only knew his face, crying and professing this great sadness that they were feeling, it pricked my nerves. It just seems a little disrespectful somehow. You didnt care about that guy who died when he was alive, so dont start now. You are a little too late for that.