Should people be happy that they overreact to videos or should they strive not to?
I'm not sure that should automatically be tagged as overreacting (or irrational). It could be that many people's initial responses were under-reactions and that it took a visual to fully appreciate the severity and the more rational reaction. I'm not talking in terms of empathy towards the victim, but overcoming (some) people's tendency to imagine softer versions of violent events described to them. Rose-colored glasses or whatever you might call it.
Philosophically, I lean towards the belief that we do not have an ethical duty to be rational, so I am open to the idea that it is morally permissible to be irrational in at least some cases. The range of acceptable goals for the kind of lives we want to lead includes varying degrees of rationality.
Not at all. Spock was entirely capable of empathy, he simply wouldn't let that interfere with making the logical decision (usually). Sociopaths, OTOH, don't have to be at all logical, and are fully able to experience emotions. Just not empathy.
