In many places people eat live things. The idea I guess is the fresher the better. In some places they think Americans ruin their food by overcooking it.
It all depends on what the culture is where you grew up. My grandmother who was from the Island of Madeira used to eat the eyeballs from a cod fish (cooked). She also would eat snales we brought home from the shore. Both used to gross me out to no end when I was like 6 years old. Now I never got into eating fish eyeballs but I do love to eat escargo now.
An old latin saying is...Matters of taste cannot be disputed.
That's why they make chocolate , vanilla and strawberry ice cream and cod eyes and snails and half cooked fish!!
