system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: why humans seem particularly bad at understanding devastating news, such as the death of a loved one. Why is our first reaction usually to not being able to process the information? Is it not psychologically disadvantageous to not be able to understand and respond to such news?
gpt
Humans are very much learning creatures, we don't do a whole lot on instinct. Because of this we aren't particularly good at doing anything very well the first time we try it, this includes emotional things like grief.

The people who have trouble grasping devastating news are usually having to handle something like that for the first time and aren't very well equipped to do so. People who have had the misfortune to have already handled significant tragedy do better with devastating news.