I used to care, until I realized that all of my caring and prayer were not going to change the situation at all. If there were ever a situation that arose where I could actually help, I would care a lot more about that.
Isabelle wrote:
feh. All of these are either impossible for me or don’t make me feel I am really making a change. If someone cares enough about someone else to get them into a help program, they don’t really need my help. If it’s a truly worthy cause, there will be dozens of other people helping and your help will be superfluous (IME, at least.) And donations will do nothing but increase the number of phone calls I receive. And one person change the law: hah!
The preceding paragraph is based on my actual experiences, not some theoretical reasoning I worked out.
I care. I have to care. It’s because people don’t care that these things happen. Of course, they’ll still happen, but at least, I won’t be contributing to the problem, even if I’m not helping it.
I also tend to think, “Gee, I would hate to be in that situation.”
It’s just that reasoning that I entirely despise. “I’m only one person, what difference can I make?” What the hell does it matter if you’re only one person, you can still do something. How many freaking ‘just one persons’ do you think there are in this country? Even if you don’t think you’re making that much of a difference, at least you’re trying. The ‘just one person’ mentality bothers me to no end, it’s a horrible rationalization for doing nothing and feeling justified in it.
I volunteer for an organization and am majoring in a degree which, I hope, will put me smack dab in the middle of a place where I will not make a whit of difference, but I desperately hope that that someday I will smile at the right person at the right time and make that person believe that everything, no matter how bad it seems at the moment, will be all right.
I used to care a lot. Now I’ve worked in journalism for two and a half years, and I’ve had to learn to distance myself from events a bit. When I’m not at work, I completely avoid the news so that I can find out again that the world doesn’t completely suck. I’m extremely depressed and run-down by the time my weekend rolls around.
And by the way, I think apathy is at times less destructive than, uh, “superpathy,” if that’s a word. Consider people who are willing to kill each other over a disagreement about what happens after you die.
A lot of people get upset for a little while about something, then get on with their life without doing anything about it. Does the fact that they are upset mean they are care about the event, even though they didn’t do anything about it (to fix it)?
It depends on what is meant by care, I gues.
Personally, I don’t (usually) go out of my way to find some way to help if I get upset by something I hear about.
But, if the opportunity comes up to do something which is beneficial to others and helps a cause, I will volunteer and spend a great deal of time doing it. This is my way of caring, and I know a lot of people wouldn’t do it.
Because I am proud of it ;), I will mention my biggest achievement: spending 12 months raising over $10,000 for medical research. I liked raising money for medical research because in some small way, everyone benefits. I think that’s cool.
A while back I was talking to someone who claimed she never watched the news because it was “too depressing”. I argued that you need to watch the news in order to be an informed individual and know what is going on in the world. Of course it’s depressing. It’s depressing because you care.
Her point got me to thinking about it though. Just what is the news? So I watched the local TV news and saw reports of a deadly automobile accident, a fire that destroyed a restaurant, an unsolved murder, a rapist at large, and a bank robbery. And I have arrived at the conclusion that the news is nothing more than other people’s trouble!
Oh yeah, there was also a spot about a lost puppy returned to its home. I guess that’s supposed to counteract all that other stuff. (Now, that’s the kind of shit I don’t care about.
Being in the media, I know our motto is: “If it bleeds, it reads.” And like jackelope said, being in journalism does jade you. I watched the local news tonight and counted the number of stories that would either invoke fear in the viewers, or would freak them out (if they saw the entire picture). I switched the channel after counting eight. And that was only 15 minutes of watching.
And what’s even sadder, being a newspaper editor, and there have been weeks where I’ve silently wished for something to blow up (I live in a manufacturing/factory town where a certain plant ‘blows up’ at least two or three times a year), or something ‘else’ to happen-- and in the same breath realized how disgusting it is to think that.
But seriously, awards aren’t won and papers aren’t bought because somebody grows a really big tomato. Yeah, I disgust me.
FTR, I’m actively looking to get out of the media. My goal in life is to help people out of bad situations, not report on them.
I don’t proudly “don’t care”. In fact it disturbs me that I don’t. I’d like to care about other people, and I get the impression that it’s expected that I care about other people. I just have no idea how to.
There also seems to be an implication in this thread that, because someone doesn’t care, they don’t give to charity, or help those less fortunate than them, or try to make the world more fair. I know, in my case at least, that’s not true. I do volunteer, and give to charity. I don’t see what one has to do with the other.
So, do you only volunteer for things directly related to your friends and family? I would say you “care” about whatever you are volunteering for/ donating to.
[QUOTE] Originally posted by Burnt Sugar *
I would say you “care” about whatever you are volunteering for/ donating to*, or else you wouldn’t do it/give it.**
No, I don’t. I’ve donated money or time to causes like freedom for Tibet, against drug addiction, homelessness, AIDS, cancer, etc. Of those, only cancer has ever directly affected anyone I know well, that I know of (well, and drug addiction, to a lesser extent).
I think there are two reasons that I do, and have. First,I believe that, for example, freedom and democracy are good, addiction, homelessness, AIDS, and cancer are bad. So, by volunteering, I’m being morally consistant.
Secondly, in the US, it’s considered good to help other people. So, by helping other people, I’m conforming with societal expectations. Generally, if you pattern your behavior on the people around you, you’ll fit in and be accepted. For whatever reason, I have trouble with social cues and hints…so just acting like the people around me is easier than guessing what appropriate behavior is based on body language.
I care. I care so much it often makes me want to run away and be a hermit, to get away from all the crap humans do to each other.
I don’t understand those who only care for certain groups, be it people who are the same colour, people you are related to, people under a certain age, people who happen to be citizens of the same country you are, etc. But, I guess we’re all different. Possibly there’s too much going on for everyone to care about everything.
I think it’s OK to not care as long as one has thought about it and come to a rational decision; slobs that don’t care just cuz their slobs definitely aren’t cool in my book.
So it’s ok not to care so long as you are decidedly not caring? Basically you’re deliberately not helping others and deliberately improving your own lot in life while ignoring others? That’s really a lot better than the people who never really thought about it :rolleyes: .
Exactly, it’s not just one person, it’s our societal framework. If we care and act, individually and in groups, changes can take place. They don’t take place quickly or easily, but if we don’t at least try, then all we’re really doing is taking up space and marking time. There’s enough baby boom idealism left in me that yes, I still care and I care a lot. I’m disappointed that all the wonderful changes we were going to make happen haven’t, but a lot of those changes have started to happen. Just think about the way our “western European” societies were in 1960 compared to today. Two steps forward and one step back is still progress.[/Polyanna]
Actually, I quite liked things in 1960. What are you talking about exactly?
I do care, but really only about the things that I can reasonably do something about, which doesn’t amount to a whole lot. I like to think it helps to be polite and kind on a personal level. If everybody tried that, things might improve a little.
But some things are almost too wierd to relate to. Like cutting children’s limbs off with machetes in Rwanda, strapping a bomb to your chest and detonating it on a crowded bus, or flying a 747 into a skyscraper. People simply aren’t always very nice at all. And what can I do about that?
