In line with what you are saying, I believe that it should be a centerpiece of the current conversation to address the “just world theory”, especially in the context of corporate-managed healthcare. For Luigi, and for any human walking around in America today, we’re one bad/unlucky injury away from ending up in the “discard pile”, especially if our insurance drags their heels and uses the Deny, Delay, Defend playbook. In the “just world theory”, there’s some unconscious belief that people are disabled or damaged or broken or wrong (in the eyes of a heavily discriminatory society) deserved it somehow, and if one is virtuous enough, eats a good diet, gets exercise, etc etc…that won’t happen to them.

This is a perfect case study. Luigi was probably pretty comfortable and pretty insulated from the hell that is the corporate healthcare system in America…until he had an unlucky injury that changed his life forever. You don’t even have to be doing something vaguely risky like surfing. You can end up with a severe injury that will leave you in chronic, unbearable pain for the rest of your life if some drunk driver runs a red light and slams into your car. There are some absolutely revolting people who will then spout some nonsense about your misery and pain being “part of God’s plan”, but they’d probably change their tune once it’s their spine being bolted back together.

Empathy is a scarce commodity these days, and we’re going to need to foster the growth of a whole hell of a lot more of it if we want to keep this spark alive.