Well, my mom once told me it's easy to be funny at another's expense. Most of my humor is self-deprecating. Pleasure from those in need? I would guess, very few of us.
Some things are funny, only because we know that they aren't serious. One might laugh at a fender bender, but not at a serious collision.
Most people are better than you seem to give them credit before.
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-6-mo...ut-human-race/