It is an application of the so-called “Rule of Rescue”: our perceived duty to spend almost any amount to save an identifiable victim, such as a trapped miner, an injured mountain climber, or an extremely premature baby. We are far less willing to invest in saving lives when the victims cannot be identified in advance, even when the number of lives saved would be higher – for example, by providing better road safety or education in preventive health measures.
向政府施压支付赎金，或至少方便急切地希望拯救爱人生命的家人支付赎金是可以理解的。这是对所谓“救援规则”（Rule of Rescue）的应用：我们感到有责任倾尽所有拯救可证明身份的受害者，比如被困矿工、受伤登山者或极早产儿。如果受害者无法事先确认身份，我们花血本拯救生命的意愿就会小得多，即使被拯救的生命数量会大得多——比如提供更好的道路安全设施或预防性卫生手段教育。