Our ability to turn off empathy for specific kinds of humans and then use faulty logic to justify our beliefs is messily sociopathic.
I don't think anyone's normal.
I do get flak for the lack of romance in my stories.
In general, Americans like to be entertained. Canadians seem more suspicious of it.
I think we learn slowly as a group, but we learn. The ozone layer is still there.
If I have a clear spot in my schedule, I like to tackle the heavy scenes that require the heightened emotion and focus of a long writing session. Otherwise, I have daily obligations that can't be ignored.