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This is an old observation.Adam Smith,who is often falsely viewed as a proponent
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of selfishness and hardheadedness, was quite explicit about the pull this has.
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He notes: when we see a stroke aimed and just ready to fall upon the leg
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or arm of another person, we naturally shrink and draw back our own leg or arm
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and when it does fall we feel it in some measure
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and are hurt by it as well as the sufferer. If you see somebody
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being kicked in the groin in a movie, you might yourself tense up.
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If you see somebody bang their thumb with a hammer, you might cringe.
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Here is a good illustration of somebody in anticipatory pain.
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Now--It's a very British face actually.
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Now, we know certain things about this empathy, some which might be surprising.
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The pain of others is aversive even for babies.