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Does apathy take less effort than empathy?

Apathy easier than empathy?


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sookster

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The title says it all. I'm watching an old movie called Se7en. In it Morgan Freedman says that people are apathetic because it is easier to be that way, to deal with the constant evils of the city.

It's an interesting message, and all I am saying is it is a message. I'm sure there will be some people that disagree. To me, it adds a layer onto why our culture is the way it is in the US. My state passed a bill that put police body cams out of the public's reach, which defeats the purpose. And frankly my city is as racist as can be. And it's a feedback loop. More people are racist so you become racist yourself to help cope or explain the racism towards yourself. People in my city go to church and they give to various programs and charities, and there is nothing wrong with that. But why does it have to be through church? Why couldn't it be a government program?

I trailed off. Does apathy take less effort than empathy? I think so yes because of two reasons. One, because so many people practice apathy - two, it takes less mental energy to become what your perpetrator became when you were a victim, rather than to understand the person and see why they are behaving the way they are behaving. We simply may just not have the time, it could be as simple as that. I read a study on researchers replacing windows on an abandoned building. Crime decreased by 6 percent in the surrounding area by just replacing those windows. Do people tend to read about these things and try to understand poverty? For most people, but not all, no. People simply don't have the time.

So I am with Morgan Freedman. I think people choose apathy because it is easier, rather than taking the time and effort to understand what is really going on with a person.

What say ye?
 
Meh, doesn't matter.
 
The opposite of apathy is caring, which does not assume that any empathy exists, so the polling question is a nonstarter.

However, the primary reason for the apathy is the general sense that this civilization is doomed, so lets party on the way down, tending civilization is considered to be a waste of energy.
 
I think some folks use empathy to rationalize (justify?) their apathy. It is a crime to possess illegal drugs or to perform illegal labor but empathy for illegal drug users and illegal laborers begets (justifies?) apathy - expressed as support for excusing (not prosecuting) those crimes. Empathy can even be taken to the absurd level of declaring those criminals as victims.
 
Why does it not matter?

Read you thread title, then read his post, then watch the GIF below and imagine the sounds it makes:

giphy.gif
 
I think some folks use empathy to rationalize (justify?) their apathy. It is a crime to possess illegal drugs or to perform illegal labor but empathy for illegal drug users and illegal laborers begets (justifies?) apathy - expressed as support for excusing (not prosecuting) those crimes. Empathy can even be taken to the absurd level of declaring those criminals as victims.

I see where you are coming from, but if you approach it from an empathetic viewpoint, you would want to ask, why is this person doing drugs, or selling drugs? What would be a probable solution?

I could go into a tangent, but there has been some strides in understanding addiction, and some of the literature is saying the anonymous programs work for different reasons than they think. When you understand why a vast majority of people are doing drugs, then you can take a problem solving approach into fixing the situation, as well as the fact that realizing that could of been me mentality, pushes people to help other people.

If we don't care, there will be no change. And realize that if I was born under those same environments, with similar genes, then I would of come out more than likely the same, albeit not a given. When we are apathetic, we don't strive to change for the better for all, really. I don't care, that person needs to go to jail regardless, into a jail system designed to keep people incarcerated. But I don't care. Because if I cared about the vast amount of people incarcerated with our current prison systems, there would be emotional stress. Another point to consider.
 
Depends on the person. Some people are naturally caring, and others are not. Naturally caring people will find it easier to empathize where those that are naturally uncaring, or at least introverted, will tend to be more apathetic.

Yet, there are some that can both understand and feel pain, but still not be concerned about your pain you're suffering.
 
The title says it all. I'm watching an old movie called Se7en. In it Morgan Freedman says that people are apathetic because it is easier to be that way, to deal with the constant evils of the city.

It's an interesting message, and all I am saying is it is a message. I'm sure there will be some people that disagree. To me, it adds a layer onto why our culture is the way it is in the US. My state passed a bill that put police body cams out of the public's reach, which defeats the purpose. And frankly my city is as racist as can be. And it's a feedback loop. More people are racist so you become racist yourself to help cope or explain the racism towards yourself. People in my city go to church and they give to various programs and charities, and there is nothing wrong with that. But why does it have to be through church? Why couldn't it be a government program?

I trailed off. Does apathy take less effort than empathy? I think so yes because of two reasons. One, because so many people practice apathy - two, it takes less mental energy to become what your perpetrator became when you were a victim, rather than to understand the person and see why they are behaving the way they are behaving. We simply may just not have the time, it could be as simple as that. I read a study on researchers replacing windows on an abandoned building. Crime decreased by 6 percent in the surrounding area by just replacing those windows. Do people tend to read about these things and try to understand poverty? For most people, but not all, no. People simply don't have the time.

So I am with Morgan Freedman. I think people choose apathy because it is easier, rather than taking the time and effort to understand what is really going on with a person.

What say ye?

Negatives are normally easier than positives. Negatives normally end interaction, where positives trend to extend interaction. I say no, we're done. I say yes, then I may have to follow up, answer more question, latent to more of your story, stand with you in support, or some other action that if I had said no I would be relieved from presumed responsibility to perform. I empathize with you, then you will tend to continue to interact with me due to the comradery that I implied. If I'm apathetic to you and your situation, then more than likely you'll look elsewhere for companionship, and in turn leave me the hell alone.

Empathy requires effort, apathy removes the requirement for effort.
 
I see where you are coming from, but if you approach it from an empathetic viewpoint, you would want to ask, why is this person doing drugs, or selling drugs? What would be a probable solution?

I could go into a tangent, but there has been some strides in understanding addiction, and some of the literature is saying the anonymous programs work for different reasons than they think. When you understand why a vast majority of people are doing drugs, then you can take a problem solving approach into fixing the situation, as well as the fact that realizing that could of been me mentality, pushes people to help other people.

If we don't care, there will be no change. And realize that if I was born under those same environments, with similar genes, then I would of come out more than likely the same, albeit not a given. When we are apathetic, we don't strive to change for the better for all, really. I don't care, that person needs to go to jail regardless, into a jail system designed to keep people incarcerated. But I don't care. Because if I cared about the vast amount of people incarcerated with our current prison systems, there would be emotional stress. Another point to consider.

Because they have more money and time to waste supporting crime than respect for others and the law. Jail is not a deterrent on par with forced labor (community service), required self-funded rehab and public humiliation (wearing a sign advertising your criminal act). Paying for people to waste time in jail is foolish (apathetic?) public policy.
 
Because they have more money and time to waste supporting crime than respect for others and the law. Jail is not a deterrent on par with forced labor (community service), required self-funded rehab and public humiliation (wearing a sign advertising your criminal act). Paying for people to waste time in jail is foolish (apathetic?) public policy.

Selling drugs is actually usually done for survival. And drugs are usually done with people who are deprived of relationships in general, or live in a povershed environment, or both. Have you seen the prisons in Europe? I can't remember exactly which country, but they basically had a one bedroom apartment, and were taught skills and rehabilitated for when they get out of "prison." The philosophy is caring for the prisoner, and work to rehabilitate that prisoner back into society.

What attacks addiction on both fronts, the selling and using, would be to rid society of poverty, and enact policies that de-criminalize drugs. How we go about doing that, has been debated for decades and for the most part we really haven't done anything at all. Personally Trump's idea of allowing any parent to pick any school district is a step in the right direction.

I know I am jumping all over the place with various topics. But me explaining myself is showing that it is harder to show empathy and explain to someone that may have less, which might be an important factor as to why people pick apathy.
 
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