The Danger of Apathy as a State of Mind

From : Thesaurus.Com	apathy [ap-uh-thee]/ˈæpəθi/ Show Spelled
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	uncaring attitude, lack of interest
Synonyms:	aloofness, coldness, coolness, detachment, disinterest, dispassion, disregard, dullness, emotionless, halfheartedness, heedlessness, indifference, insensibility, insensitivity, insouciance, lassitude, lethargy, listlessness, passiveness, passivity, stoicism, unconcern, unresponsiveness   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Have you ever wondered if there is anything in this world worse than hate? Anything more poisonous? There is. It's called apathy. If you hate something, someone, some moment in time - you are emotionally attached to it. This thing has affected you in some way, it is a part of you. But the true opposite of love, the true source of destruction, at least from my point of view, is the absence of feeling or emotion.   I personally can't get my head around 'a lack of emotion', I'm just not wired that way. A person like me tends to lean the other way, empathy - and a lot of it. Possibly too much, but that's a whole different topic.   I've watched people fight, get angry, I've seen the trauma that hate causes. But hate can be countered, hate can be explained and snuffed out. It can be examined and it can be conquered. At the very least, you can move on from it.   But I have also witnessed the danger of apathy. When someone shows a complete lack of emotion, concern, or feeling towards something or someone, it disconnects people. When it comes from someone that you know or love, it is almost impossible to understand.   It's just as dangerous to the person who is apathetic as it is to the one on the receiving end. When your mind is in a state of apatheia you are not only blocking the bad feelings, you are dampening yourself to the good ones. Apathy has been linked to depression. The two have even been called a "package deal" in medical reviews. [Note: This links to a wikipedia article, I apologize for lack of a better source at the moment.]   Make no mistake, hate is not a good thing either. But it's a feeling you must live through to appreciate love. An emotion that teaches you to 'think before you act.' Stick with hate too long and you're on a bad road, the same can be said for anger, sadness, etc.   But apathy just may be the cause of many ongoing problems on any scale, from home life to worldwide dangers. If you really want to be in a good state of mind, embrace the feelings (even the chaotic ones) and aim for love, peace, and understanding as much as possible.   If your looking for a direction in your own life: just focus on what/who you love and where that feeling is projected back to you. Connect yourself with these people and things that bring enjoyment to your life, reach out and pay those good feelings forward. If you are looking to jump on board a good cause on the subject of ridding the world of hate, anger, intolerance, or violence: check out the links below. And check out a couple of Hollywood's takes on Apathy after the link break.   http://www.noh8campaign.com/ - "The NOH8 Campaign is a charitable organization whose mission is to promote marriage, gender and human equality through education, advocacy, social media, and visual protest." http://www.stopbullying.gov/ - "Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance." http://www.loveislouder.com/ - "Love is Louder was started by The Jed Foundation, MTV and Brittany Snow to support anyone feeling mistreated, misunderstood or alone. It’s hundreds of thousands of people just like you who have turned this idea into a movement..." http://www.itgetsbetter.org/ - ".. I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other bullied teens by letting them know that it gets better." http://www.srtrc.org/ - The UK's Anti-Racism Educational Charity http://amnesty.org/en/who-we-are - "Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights." http://www.hrc.org - HRC advocates on behalf of LGBT Americans, mobilizes grassroots actions in diverse communities, invests strategically to elect fair-minded individuals to office and educates the public about LGBT issues.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   definition of apathia : freedom or release from emotion or excitement   forced apathy?:       apathy is easier?: