I was wondering about this too, My father hit and killed a pedestrian in central america when he was in his 20s – the man (who was apparently very intoxicated) tripped into the road just as my father was driving by. The man’s body hit the front of the car, slid up the hood, smashed the windshield, and when the car came to a stop the man’s body was apparently crumpled and bloodied in the passenger seat. My father, who has always been rather pragmatic about death and dying, said that he “felt bad” that the man had died, he felt no guilt about what could (as he would say) “happen to any of us tomorrow.”
He has a similar view on death generally. While I’m sure if my father had been at fault in some way he would feel differently, in relation to the man he hit, he felt bad for him but did not feel guilty about a situation he cannot change. I think I would be the opposite – devastated – so I definitely think it is different for a lot (most?) people.
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