[Azred]

Originally posted by shamrock_uk: (a) Have the general public reached a point where they are so emotionally fragile that they clutch at a shared feeling of loss to substitute in the place of something missing in their lives? (b) If we have reached the point where personal views are held so strongly they can make you ill (feminism in this case, but there are plenty of others), is this a 'bad thing' and is it symptomatic of a greater malaise in society? (I was thinking here of the massive increase in use of and reliance on psychologists etc for example)

a) Yes, many people are emotionally fragile and it seems as if any tragedy, even if it happens to people they don't know, causes them distress. This is empathy taken a little too far.
One reason for this is that some people live for drama; if their lives don't have enough drama they find a way to experience some. This is also why soap operas and other TV drama shows are always so popular.

b) Yes, if people choose to let themselves be so fragile as to cause illness because of possible then they are limiting their own lives and causing themselves to look ridiculous.
I don't think that this is a symptom of a larger problem in society, because not everybody in the society suffers from this.