Fridging is when a love interest gets killed just to push the main character forward. It used to mean a woman getting hurt to make a man act. Now it covers any partner dying to pump up the plot.
Here’s the cold truth. A romantic loss is the only loss that actually justifies losing your head over it. If your boyfriend or girlfriend dies, that grief can spiral into obsession or a need for revenge. That is story fuel. Everything else is background noise.
An uncle, a child, a best friend, a parent, a teammate getting killed is not tragic nor is it enough to be sad and enough to motivate you to be a hero. Those losses might be a little sad but they do not automatically justify turning your life into this crusade against injustice. They are not dramatic enough to demand you drop everything and hunt a killer down.
So yeah, fridging as a device works because romantic love is one of the few things audiences treat as absolute.
Whenever there is a story about a main character who is depressed because their best friend, parent, or child dies, I just can’t get into it, and I’m always like, “Please get over it,” because this isn’t enough to be depressed over, and it’s not enough to want to become a good person.
Yeah bud, I totally would do that.
I think it is common to have deep feelings for non-romantic partners, friends or family that would be strong enough to compel someone to avenge them if they were hurt or killed.
I’m not saying anything is wrong with you, we all experience our emotions and perceive the world around us and the people in it different, but as another poster said, you may want to talk to a therapist. Your post indicates you may have some stuff you can get help with that may expand your empathy towards others. Not an accusation but some friendly advice.
Personally, I had a lot of anger when I was younger that severely limited my empathy towards others. If I could have sorted it out in therapy a couple decades earlier than I did I know my life would have been better earlier. The connections I now have with me family and friends is deeper than I once thought possible.
It was hard to face my past and who I thought I was but once I did let go of all of that baggage I had much more space within myself for others.