Why do we feel sad when we hear stories?

I am an avid reader of romantic novels; sometimes, during my off days when I have free time, I read them non-stop and finish the book in a day. While reading, I often wonder why we become emotional when we hear someone sharing their sad, sorrowful, and unfair stories.

Over the last two months, I have been reading about the Tharu people, their religion, culture, and traditions. I have been reading and learning about their struggles, including the loss of lands to the aristocratic Brahmins, the burden of high taxes, and the enforced relocations that occurred during the establishment of Chitwan National Park, which was created nearly two hundred years ago. Despite this long history, the voices and promises of the Tharu people have often gone unspoken, unheard, and unfulfilled.

While reading the stories after the stories of these endogamous ethnic groups in Nepal, I was getting emotional and sad, and I was asking why I was not getting angry but sad, but then I remembered the quote of Martin Heidegger, “I cannot look at the world objectively, because the world is not, and cannot possibly be, outside me. I am and always have been; since my birth in the world, I have existed as part of it. I am inextricably linked to all other entities in the worldwide web of significance.”

I am simply a human observer who listens to people's words, thoughts, and actions and categorizes these observations into two groups: good and bad, or morally and ethically right and wrong.

I feel sad when I read or hear someone's stories because I listen deeply to them. I observe the meaning, feelings, and emotions in them, and I reflect on these elements to understand the overall context. This introspection often moves me to tears.

“Life without a Choice”, by Karuna Kusalasaya, a Thai writer, moved me to read more research papers so that I will have better and wider ways to see the meaning of life and living.

Why do we feel the way we feel?

Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, “When you look at her, and you see her in pain and suffering, share her pain as yours. She feels secure, safe, and motivated.”

When I read a novel or watch a movie, I do not like to be disturbed or distracted because I want to be the main protagonist of the book or movie so that I can dive into the ocean of feelings and emotions the book or movie is trying to express. If I don’t feel those feelings and emotions while reading or watching, I do not feel I understood the book or movie.

Why do you cry when you read or hear others' stories?