I just don't care

I just don't care anymore, about anything. I think about some horrible thing happening somewhere and I know I'm supposed to feel bad about it but I just don't, I can't. I don't understand why; is anyone else like this? Have I just become so desensitized to suffering that I'm just not bothered by it at all? Or am I just a horrible, robot person with no heart?

I'm posting this to discover if I am alone in this or if it has become more common.

PS sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I didn't really know where to put it.

[edit on 8-8-2008 by Nessosin]

You're not the only one at all. In fact, MOST are this way.

Me? Well I'm the complete opposite. I go balistic if I hear a kitten had its ear cut off.

I agree, I have the same problem...only mine is due to being a sociopath with bipolar. Searching for countless hours because you are unable to find your 'give-a-damn' happens a lot to me.

Originally posted by Taledus
I agree, I have the same problem...only mine is due to being a sociopath with bipolar. Searching for countless hours because you are unable to find your 'give-a-damn' happens a lot to me.

Uhhh...why would you want to search for something that will upset you? Why not just find things that amuse you? Now if you can't find anything amusing, yeah that is a problem.

Originally posted by Sonya610
Uhhh...why would you want to search for something that will upset you? Why not just find things that amuse you? Now if you can't find anything amusing, yeah that is a problem.

But, I did find something amusing...your response

I simply find myself disgusted by everything, like the OP. But I do try to find a happy medium in my own little world...just without teletubies...LOL

Originally posted by Taledus But, I did find something amusing...your response

I simply find myself disgusted by everything, like the OP. But I do try to find a happy medium in my own little world...just without teletubies...LOL

I am glad you were amused. : )

But the op didn't say he was disgusted by everything, he said he can't get upset by what he sees anymore. That is actually quite natural, desensitization. You get exposed to certain things enough and they can lose their impact. I am the same way but certain things still really get to me, like animal abuse. Sometimes human stories too, if I can relate to the participants in some manner.

No, most of the world does not feel this way.

How to feel like you do. 1) watch as much cable news as you possibly can. 2) spend as much time reading threads created by the 2012 crowd.
3) make sure you avoid thinking about God or belonging to any church.
4) don't go outside 5) don't meet people or have any friends 6) play as much playstation as you can, preferably when taking a break from cable news. 7) don't get involved in any type of activity that requires you to do anything for anyone else.

How to stop feeling like this. 1) find a life, make a life, live a friggin life and make a difference in someones life!

reply to post by Nessosin


I'm not like that now - but I have been before

I don't think you're alone - I've been hearing this - and different versions of this from many people - and you've probably seen a few threads with topics similar to this

you just posted - and I just happened to see it

I'm not sure if you have an idea about why this is - but I'm interested

like I said - I went thru something similar - but - I think I figured out my reasons -

I think you still care, or you would not care to post that you do not care. Obviously you care enough to notice you think you dont care.
Maybe its just that your mind realized that caring does not mean you have to be emotionally active or effected to do so, perhaps you are not disturbed by things you think you used to be or should be, and you see it as not caring, when really, its just a matter readjustment.
I think maybe your psyche has toned down the effect of whatever it is you saw as terrible so that it could better operate in order to do anything about it.
just a thought.

I was thinking a lot about this very thing... Sure, it's great to make sick, sarcastic jokes when it comes to real suffering in the world, but it doesn't feel right. At the same time it comes naturally.


Makes no sense, sure. But nothing does. I just don't get along with life while not intoxicated. Instabilities suck.

Originally posted by Res Ipsa
1) watch as much cable news as you possibly can. 2) spend as much time reading threads created by the 2012 crowd.
3) make sure you avoid thinking about God or belonging to any church.
4) don't go outside

I agree with the news bit. Constanty reading about tragedies all over the world, or reading about horrid murders is often a major contributor.

But the God thing? Uhhh...that is a very very broad statement. I would not presume that just because an individual is apathetic, they do not think about God. Perhaps their concept of God just differs from yours.

Originally posted by Res Ipsa
3) make sure you avoid thinking about God or belonging to any church.

While I won't argue your other points... I disagree wholeheartedly with this. Not to say that this cannot help some people, but that it is not a requisite step. I have strong feelings, but am areligious. I am spiritual but have no concept of "God" (or the dogma attached) I think about, nor do I have a church.

To the OP: I suspect it's something you are likely to "outgrow." Make sure you are drinking plenty of good, fresh water, eat organic when possible, avoid processed foods when possible, and you will be feeling better in a short time.

Of course, this is all my humble opinion.

reply to post by Sonya610


I was attempting to be pithy and I suppose I could have said....make sure you don't think about any higher being, have any spiritual life or thought, purpose, no creator, no mother earth, no community of positive thinking people or people that live with hope. Hope will just kill an apathetic soul
.....or....instead of God and Church.....I could have just said....anything bigger than yourself out in the Universes.

I could have suggested he see a doctor to see if he is clinically depressed too. But just like the over diagnosis of ADD in kids, there are plenty of ways to "heal" yourself.

Stop exposing yourself to all the people that make their money, make their entertainment and feed their psychopathy with doom and gloom. (I should have just written that, and this kid would be healed) and so would some of you others suffering from the Apathetic Syndrome.

Originally posted by Res Ipsa
No, most of the world does not feel this way.

How to feel like you do. 1) watch as much cable news as you possibly can. 2) spend as much time reading threads created by the 2012 crowd.
3) make sure you avoid thinking about God or belonging to any church.
4) don't go outside 5) don't meet people or have any friends 6) play as much playstation as you can, preferably when taking a break from cable news. 7) don't get involved in any type of activity that requires you to do anything for anyone else.

How to stop feeling like this. 1) find a life, make a life, live a friggin life and make a difference in someones life!

I don't do any of those things you listed, I never watch cable news, I hardly read 2012 threads, I most certainly believe in and love God, I go outside plenty, I know a lot of people and have a lot of friends, and I barely play videogames other than guitar hero every now and then. I don't however do any activity that requires me to do something for anyone else.

I live a normal life, I'm not a reclusive hermit or a sociopath. I have no intention of harming anyone because I've given up on humanity (I'm actually a pacifist).



I think maybe it has to do with my inability to comprehend such large numbers. When hear about millions suffering, I can't really comprehend millions so it doesn't seem as real. I would probably be more affected by a more relateable number, such as something in the thousands.

Thanks for all the responses everyone, I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one experiencing this. Well, maybe I'm not glad, as I suppose it would be better if more people were concerned, but I'm certainly relieved.

I don't pretend to know your age, but I'll guess you're pretty young.
Put bown the video games, get involved in the world, leave bitterness to others, see a sunrise, adopt a cat, don't be a doper, have an open mind but don't allow your brains to fall out, enjoy diversity but don't embrace radicals on either side of an issue, get a hobby that makes you wonder why, and thank whomever or whatever you believe in, even if it's yourself, that you get to take a breath every morning.
Alot more to life than trying to be a tough guy/gal and punking out with some b.s. about not caring. We are all important, what can you do to make life better, even if only for youself?
In short, don't be a dick.

Ive posted this before. This is why the majoroty of the folks on here seem depressed. I mean clinically depressed. Take a look at the topics. take a look at the responses. Do you know how many folks on here are actually waiting and wanting WW3? Its just crazy. I mean clinically crazy.

hey I love guitar hero, so lets not use that as an example.

The way you just described yourself does not fit the "I just don't care" modus operandi. You sound like you might have cared too much in the past and are wondering why you don't care as much anymore.

This is a phase, and you will go through it more than once or twice.

I would consider myself a pretty compassionate person but hearing about 100,000 people dying in an earthquake or flood doesn't hit home. It is just a big number. Our troops dying in Iraq, it is just a number. What makes it hit home is when you hear the story of the individual. When you see a broken child laying dead in a street after a car bomb.

Your body, your brain, needs to protect you from feeling too much empathy at times. It needs to retreat and heal sometimes. There are plenty of people that seek professional help because they didn't cry at their father's funneral and they think there is something wrong. Some times our brain is just protecting us.

I didn't mean my flip thrown together list of crap to be a therapeutic remedy before.

I will give you a great example (for me at least) of this in real life.
I use to work at a Sexual psychopathic personality treatment center. These people have done unspeakable things but I spent hour after hour with them and talked to them. I knew what they were in there for obviously. BUT.....when you read their charts and their offence histories with the gory details...you either want to puke, cry, kill, or all three. But you suck it up, regroup, and go back and play cribbage with them. I have read over 100 such histories with many more I could have but I couldn't take it anymore. It didn't help me do my job any better, in fact it made it harder. I just needed to know if they had murdered their victims, the age of their victims, and if they were going to be a risk to my life and limb.

Now, for me, if there was no loving God then I would be screwed I think from the hope angle in life. Where I don't care is if people are happy without him than I have no desire at all to mess with their happiness. I threw the God and church thing in because it is just one grounding part of my life that has kept me healthy and sane. I am the antithesis of a Christian Fundamentalist...I fight them every chance I get. so believe me I wasn't preaching to you before.

Now, you didn't ask for some story, so sorry.

If you still care about the individual and their story, than you are healthy and normal. numbers are numbers no matter if it is 1000 or 4000.

I feel nothing when I hear that 4 Americans died in another road side bombing in Iraq. Until I see their mothers or their 10 year old child asking when mommy is coming home or when we hear about their lives and what they wanted to be. Then you can't help but want to grab Bush and Chenny by the ears and throw them into the middle of baghdad naked.

Originally posted by Res Ipsa
No, most of the world does not feel this way.

How to feel like you do. 1) watch as much cable news as you possibly can. 2) spend as much time reading threads created by the 2012 crowd.
3) make sure you avoid thinking about God or belonging to any church.
4) don't go outside 5) don't meet people or have any friends 6) play as much playstation as you can, preferably when taking a break from cable news. 7) don't get involved in any type of activity that requires you to do anything for anyone else.

How to stop feeling like this. 1) find a life, make a life, live a friggin life and make a difference in someones life!

I feel the same way as the OP. I used to care about everything and would bug people about things, to no avail. So i just gave up, don't care. If it doesn't affect me directly. who cares. if it does. big deal i'll live. I think it has to be something more than just tv/games/conspiracies/not being social enough

1)I don't watch any TV
2)Who cares about 2012? not going to hold my breath over it. Still working towards a degree etc. If s* happens it happens.
3) I pretty much quit all religion at 18
4) I ride at least 4 miles a day on my bike. everyday.
5) i go out about once a week. maybe every 2. I meet a lot of people at work anyways.
6) never owned a game console. see it as a waste of time.
7) I get more pleasure out of helping someone else than i do for myself. maybe I should do this one more often.


I probably have a life according to those 7 criteria but still feel like there's no point in any of it. I don't understand why people get so flustered about death or grades or sports. I'm just so indifferent to everything.

OP - I feel ya.

Zebra

Zebra, the only thing it sounds like is missing is some one to love and love you back, could make a difference.

:w: :shk:

:bash: :bnghd:

--- caring for all the world is too much for us so we just shut it down.