By now, we’ve all heard about Detroit’s walking man, a man with an average twenty-or-so mile commute. By many American’s standards, such a commute is a non-issue, but only considered average when traveling by car. When his story made its way into the news feeds of millions of social media users, an outpouring of support quickly followed, mostly through cash and vehicle donations.

It’s important to recognize the parts at play in this scenario, so that we can uncover where this large-scale empathy stems from, and subsequently attempt to figure why it’s often so difficult to scale. Why is it that a single individual with the same challenges as hundreds of other Detroiters can become an iconic figure and receive so much help?

People like immediate results. If they can take an action, and receive an immediate and tangible result, it’s much more likely that they will take that action.

A personal connection with the afflicted, in this case through a well produced video, can urge viewers to empathize. However, when this is scaled to a large population such as a city or neighborhood, it often loses its effect on a viewer. A small problem might seem manageable to a single individual with some goodwill, but a problem afflicting hundreds or thousands of individuals could be a bit to overwhelming and paralyzing for decision-making.

When it’s easy to relate to suffering, it becomes easier to lend a hand. Especially when who you’re helping is trying to do the right thing. Commuting to work, regardless of the distance or difficulty, is easily viewed as an honest effort at self-improvement.

Ultimately, it’s clear that people care. A lot of them do. And In the end, that is what’s most important for people like the Walking Man, and just as significant for the entire City of Detroit.