I understand empathy, but why do we feel empathy towards things that we know for sure aren’t real?
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Our brains are great at processing things by imagining doing them. If you monitor the brain of a pianist when listening to a piece of music on piano, it looks incredibly similar to how it would look if they were playing the piano themself. This is because they are familiar with the piano, and are processing the sound by thinking empathetically.
We do a similar thing with characters in films. When we watch the film, we develop a bond with the character by imagining how we would feel in their situation. It’s also why we feel uncomfortable when something gory happens, or happy when someone reaches a goal.
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