▁Im ages ▁of ▁suffering ▁children ▁are ▁the ▁ideal ▁triggers ▁of ▁this ▁instinct ive ▁comp ass ion . ▁ ▁Once ▁triggered , ▁comp ass ion ▁leads ▁individuals ▁to ▁favor ▁the ▁few ▁they ▁see ▁suffering ▁over ▁the ▁many ▁who ▁they ▁know ▁to ▁be ▁suffering ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁abstract : ▁" Pe ople ▁who ▁feel ▁similar ▁to ▁another ▁person ▁in ▁need ▁have ▁been ▁shown ▁to ▁experience ▁more ▁em path ic ▁comp ass ion ▁for ▁that ▁person ▁than ▁do ▁those ▁not ▁manip ulated ▁to ▁feel ▁similar ▁to ▁another ." ▁ ▁Dan ▁Ari ely ▁notes ▁that ▁appe als ▁that , ▁through ▁visual ▁c ues ▁or ▁otherwise , ▁make ▁us ▁focus ▁on ▁specific , ▁individual ▁vict ims ▁affect ▁our ▁att itudes ▁and ▁lead ▁us ▁to ▁take ▁action ▁whereas , ▁" when ▁many ▁people ▁are ▁involved , ▁we ▁don ' t . ▁A ▁cold ▁calculation ▁does ▁not ▁increase ▁our ▁concern ▁for ▁large ▁problems ; ▁instead , ▁it ▁suppress es ▁our ▁comp ass ion ." ▁ ▁" In ▁many ▁ways , ▁it ▁is ▁very ▁sad ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁effective ▁way ▁to ▁get ▁people ▁to ▁respond ▁to ▁suffering ▁is ▁through ▁an ▁emot ional ▁appeal , ▁rather ▁than ▁through ▁an ▁objective ▁reading ▁of ▁massive ▁need . ▁The ▁ups ide ▁is ▁that ▁when ▁our ▁emot ions ▁are ▁aw ak ened , ▁we ▁can ▁be ▁trem end ously ▁car ing . ▁Once ▁we ▁attach ▁an ▁individual ▁face ▁to ▁suffering , ▁we ' re ▁much ▁more ▁willing ▁to ▁help , ▁and ▁we ▁go ▁far ▁beyond ▁what ▁econom ists ▁would ▁expect ▁from ▁rational , ▁self ish ,