Imagine: a large garbage bag, clearly full of unwanted items such as used clothes, books, and maybe the occasional string of Christmas lights. Just a big pile of junk. Peeping through the top of the bag, a pair of melancholy eyes follow your gaze. It’s a stuffed bear. The stitched mouth seems to form a sad smile, as if to say, “Please take me... I can be your friend.” What is it about the oddly shaped pieces of fabric, stitched together and stuffed with cotton, with two button “eyes” and a sewed on mouth that make us feel sorry for the abandoned toy?