That Number

Why is it that deaths of larger numbers seem less heart-wrenching than smaller numbers?
Well at least that's how it seems to me. I heard a number today, one over 10,000 and it was about the number of people who died in a certain crisis. It was just said in passing though and some way on another number was commented on, one in comparision was a mere 80. But it seemed to be the 80 that held the most effect to the people quoting it. And to me even, it seemed more important. It's not that it was any more relevant to my life, both equalling the same. So why did it hold more impact?
Maybe because when the number is larger it is just shrugged off, people do not want to dwell on it and so they don't. There was more deaths and so it is a number too high to believe, to comprehend. Maybe.
It is something that will change I'd say between opinions.