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[umiman]

This question is pretty simple.

A few days back I learned that my cousin got mauled by a tigress when she tried to pet one at a safari. My first instinct was to laugh my ass off but I had to restrain myself because people told me that was a cruel thing to do regarding this sort of thing.

By "this sort of thing" I refer to another time when my mates and me were at a picnic and one of my friends somehow managed to send himself into a seizure when he tried (and failed) to blow a balloon. I laughed my ass off there but that was when people told me that was mean. Though I still can't figure out how he nearly killed himself failing to blow up a balloon.

I mean, I kinda know this is the wrong thing to do. But I'm not really sure what the "right" thing to do is. How am I supposed to act when someone tells me someone suffered because of a really silly thing? Any advice would be helpful because I really don't know what to do.

[SoHowAreYou]

Yay that is kind of cruel. My advice don't mock personal tragedy unless the people it happened to make a joke out of it themselves.

[Loud Whispers]

Epicaricacy. Fair game.
 Roar with laughter, fell and terrible!

[umiman]

Yay that is kind of cruel. My advice don't mock personal tragedy unless the people it happened to make a joke out of it themselves.

No, no. I know that part.

I don't know what the appropriate response is. For example, I know you're supposed to act sympathetic. But it's too vague. I don't get it. Are there examples for me to follow?

[kaijyuu]

The socially acceptable reaction is to sympathize.



Though if you don't know why you should feel bad when someone gets hurt, I dunno what to say.

[GlyphGryph]

You say "I'm so sorry. My condolences go out to the victim and their family. I... I need a minute to go outside and down the street to compose myself after hearing such terrible news."

Get far enough away so that you can laugh safely.

[Pnx]

They say tragedy + distance = comedy, I say anything + perspective = comedy. The trick is to understand that something can be both a tragedy and a comedy at the same time, and be respectful of people's feelings on the matter. When something bad happens and you laugh in their face about it, people don't tend to like you for it.

[Leafsnail]

The seizure one seems a bit different, actually.  The problem there might be that the appropriate response to someone having a seizure is to seek medical help rather than laugh at them.

[Flying Dice]

Be respectful about it around the people who would be angry if you laughed; laugh at home and submit it to the Darwin Awards.

[GlyphGryph]

Although I could see plenty of people laughing before they realized how serious it was (and laughing again once they were sure their friend was safe)

[Flying Dice]

Oh, if the person lived, I'd laugh my ass off about it. The only reason I'd show any sort of tact would be if they were killed/crippled, and then only to avoid having to deal with crap from people with no sense of humor. Incidentally, if I ever do something that stupid, I don't just want people to laugh at me, I want it engraved on my damned tombstone. Or urn, depending on the nature of my death.

[umiman]

Mrm... you guys overestimate my ability to be social.

I am not exaggerating when I say I literally don't know what to do. I understand the words "act sympathetic" or "show tact" but I don't know what that implies. To give an example, my default reaction to such a thing would be to pause for awhile, act pensive, and ask "wow, are they okay?" This is something I learned from a coworker awhile ago and I've been using this method.

The problem with it is that if they say anything other than "yeah, they're fine" I have no clue what to do and just stand there while laughing in my head.

So I kinda need help on that other half or any other specific method you guys use to deal with things like this.

[eerr]

Psh, you just need to crack jokes with a straight face.

At their expense

[Flying Dice]

"So, did she enjoy her trip to the maul?"

[GlyphGryph]

I gave you pretty much exactly what to say.