Someone I had just met died last week yet I feel nothing?

Why should you feel any more than what one human might feel for another human acquaintance?

Yes I have. I’ll leave it at that though.

Death is something you ultimately end up getting used to, because everyone dies at some point, regardless of age, colour, creed, nationality.
A relative of mine was in Northern Ireland many moons ago, back when the “troubles” were still very much a daily source of news in my country, and he lost friends there, he was one of two people to come back not in a bag or a box. I don’t know how he coped with it, but I know that as a soldier he was very rapidly accustomed to the fact that people died whether by ill health or by a bullet. To have gone with a platoon and come back with just one other brother in arms must have been beyond really shitty. Maybe it’s a good thing, given your current career path – so to speak – that you don’t feel much of anything about this NCO’s passing. If anything, I’d even dare to venture to say that you should probably get used to that because of the nature of your job – although you probably already are from what I’ve read. You will meet people, and some of those poor bastards, God love ‘em, will probably die doing the same job that you do. I guess that’s occupational hazards for you.

Should you be heartbroken about the death of someone you barely know? I doubt I would be. Yeah, it’s sad, but you’re certainly not a bad person for not crying your eyes out about it.

You may feel more than you think. At least his death made you think. You might miss him when it comes time to do PT. As to how you feel, do not feel bad that you don’t feel worse. you did not know him that well.

Nothing unusual about that but a young death has a way of bringing our own mortality to mind.

Nothing unusual about that. You only just met him. It’s always tragic when someone dies young but unless you are close to that person it’s not going to affect you much on a personal level.

I think the “feeling bad for not feeling bad” is quite common and you actually do feel bad, just not emotionally distraught, otherwise you would not have brought it up.

You barely knew him. I think the younger you are the more likely you would be less affected, or less emotional. I think you would be more bothered by it if you identified strongly with him or his family who is mourning, and identified with how he died. Still, since you barely knew him this isn’t unusual.

Once you finally realize on a more base level that you’re going to die you deal with it much easier and much healthier. For example: you have had a serious health scare and had to actually face that reality. The closer people are to you the harder it will be but as you experience this more with age it can become almost “normal” as you are more and more mentally prepared for it. I had to perform CPR on someone and they did not make it and I was back to normal in a day or so. As a child it would have been weeks if not months…

@LDRSHIP First, welcome to fluther. :)

I think when it comes to death there is no way to act. Grief is very personal. I have experienced a lot of loss. Some I have freaked out and shut down almost completely and for example I’m still trying to get over the loss of my husband it’s been almost 4yrs and he was only 39.

And then I lost my closest cousin to a massive heart attack not just in age but in friendship he was just 35. I barely shed a tear. Without going into too much details I’ll just say the family plot is getting huge.

I don’t think your reaction was right our wrong. The fact that you feel bad and sad and are questioning all of the bigger scheme of things seems to show that you have some emotion about the situation, I think the lack of actual crying is probably because you did not know him that well, so the connection is not formed and who knows maybe you don’t really cry too much? Some people have a hard time showing emotion, I know I do.

I am really sorry for your loss.