Hi
Could you please help me with the bold part of the given quote?
Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved.
Tom
Hi Tom
I find it hard to believe that you can’t figure this one out. :shock:
The sentence rephrased:
Do we do this because we’re happy not to be the baby and sad not to be the dead person?
Amy
Dear Amy
To be honest, I did understand both sentenes but separately…You see when I try to understand them in connection with each other I get confused. 
Not the person involved: I think, it means that you are either not that particular person or the one affected in/ by the situation.OK?
He seemed quite satisfied even after hearing the news of the accident. Maybe because he was not the person involved. Now when I look at the quote:
"Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved. "(Mark Twain)
I would explain it this way:
People become happy at the birth of a child and get sorrowful at the death of a man because they are neither the child who was born nor the man who died.(Does it make sense??? :shock: )No!
Had it been this way:
We rejoice at a funeral because we are not the person involved.
…then I would have understood it.
Amy, do you understand when I am trying to explain to you?
Please give your comments.
Tom
Hi Tom
Probably Twain wanted to suggest that many people would not like to relive their lives. Childhood and growing up can be difficult and filled with mistakes. People are happy not to have to repeat difficult parts of their lives.
On the other hand, Twain also suggests that people think “Thank God it wasn’t me that died!” when they go to a funeral i.e., they’re happy to still be alive.
Amy