I'm sure we've all heard the terrible news about Tracy Morgan's limo accident. For those who haven't been updated, the hilarious stand-up comedian and 30 Rock actor was critically injured a few days ago when his limo was hit by a tractor trailer on the Jersey Turnpike. The crash sent Morgan and four others to the intensive care unit; Morgan's close friend and mentor, James McNair, was killed in the crash. Those sent to the hospital have received varying degrees of diagnoses, with Morgan's latest being that his leg may require amputation.
It's a terrible, terrible story. Of course, I send my thoughts and good vibes to those involved in the accident and their families and loved ones. But what's really interested me about the situation is the public response. For obvious reasons, news coverage has centered on Morgan, the celebrity. But what about the five other passengers - one of whom was killed? A quick browse through the relevant trends on Twitter reveal, scattered among Tracy Morgan condolence posts, several acrid tweets blasting the mainstream for "forgetting" the other five victims.
The posts mean well, but there's a reason I put quotations around the word "forgetting". See, it's difficult to forget about someone that you've never heard of. Unfortunately, the five other victims were not famous. Not even McNair, who has received by far the most coverage next to Morgan, was even close to a recognizable name. It's sad and blunt, but it's true. We won't care about the unrecognizable deaths when a familiar name stands out, especially in a situation like this.
There's a great term that applies here: the monkeysphere. "Monkeysphere" refers to a thought experiment that I'd like to explain (with the help of Cracked.com having previously explained to me). Imagine that you have a pet monkey. You care for that monkey immensely, and you have a unique bond with it. You'd care if it died, no question. So, what if you had 10 monkeys? Each has their own personality and value to you. You'd probably still mourn the loss of all 10. How many monkeys would it take before we don't care when one dies?
The answer is Dunbar's Number. The psychologist Robert Dunbar defines this as the number of relationships we as humans can individually and reliably maintain. The number is commonly thought to be between 100 and 200 people. This brings credence to the saying that one death is a tragedy and one million deaths is a statistic.
So, back to the Tracy Morgan crash. Unfortunately, our nation has a collective monkeysphere, and these five were outside of it. But why does that lessen their value? In truth, it doesn't inherently. It's us that choose to lessen their value by not acknowledging them.
I'd like to use this concept to illustrate a point about our modern world. America in 2014 has never valued the individual less. With stories like these constantly littering our news, what's another 5 deaths when 500 people are killed in Chicago each year? And what are those 500 when over 5,000 have died in conflict in Afganistan fighting for a cause that the average American doesn't even come close to understanding?
We've created a cult of impersonality. We hear so much tragedy that we just aren't able to care anymore. The exception to this lies within our monkeysphere, the limits of which are defined by us. So, how big is your monkeysphere? How much of the world do you actually care about? When you heard the news about the crash, did you only tweet to Tracy Morgan to stay strong, or did your mind wander to the others involved that won't see their names in headlines upon recovery? Or did your mind wander further to the amount of people killed by reckless driving each year? It's a difference in our understanding and our open-mindedness that very much intrigues me.
I challenge both myself and any readers to expand their monkeysphere. It's easy to stick to your personal bubble when you're scared of what you might find outside. Next time you read a story about a celebrity in some situation like this, it's okay to feel for them. But I challenge you to think not only about the others involved, but how we can take this situation as an example to change something we're encountering in our nation. Remain conscious of the limits of your monkeysphere, and remember their fluidity. Think outside of your personal world, and you just might find the way to betterment for the rest of us.
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