Of apathy
A recent conversation with a friend brought to my attention how deep my general feeling of apathy (with regard to getting worked up over stuff that doesn't personally involve me) is. Of course some of these things can affect me, so therefore it can be argued it involves me, but the way I see it there is a difference between getting worked up over a messy kitchen courtesy of the Skank (it's totally personal then bitch) and getting worked up over yet another 'incident' in SL politics/war/whale hunting in Japan/global warming etc.
My personal mantra so far has been "do what you can to make a difference but don't get overly involved in situations that are beyond your control". For example, I recycle when I can, I walk rather than take a bus, but I don't stand outside power plants with a placard protesting the rising levels of green house gases. I discussed the 'green issue' more at length over here. World poverty, starving kids in Somalia, the Darfur crisis, the numerous cases of animal abuse are the many things that vaguely bother me if I let it but since I can't actually find a global solution to fix these problems in one go, I do what I can (www.plan-uk.org and www.rspca.org.uk) and the rest of the time continue to exist in a bubble.
I've seen a lot of posts in a lot of SL blogs regarding the war, the LTTE, the Chinthanaya and 'white-vanning'. I read these occasionally when I have nothing better to do, because most of the time they discuss incidents and give opinions about things I was completely unaware of, and that's a good thing. A few of those posts are very well written, and gives a good taste of a myriad of diverse opinions regarding these issues. I never comment on those posts because more often than not the comments section disintegrates into a war of words between bloggers calling each other petty little names, and to be honest it all makes my head hurt a bit. Comments such as these really make my head hurt and also makes me want to cover my ears and go 'lalalalala' because it's just all a bit too disturbing. I'm like the ostrich that buries her head in the sand, hoping to make the bad bad things go away. Childish I know, but it works, albeit short term.
Maybe it's cowardly and maybe it's unpatriotic that I really don't care what happens and I've given up on ever envisioning a 'solution' to this war that's as old as I am. Maybe this mindset is part of the problem as I know many of my peers from SL share the same sense of apathy. The end of the day, the question of whether I get involved or not does not make the slightest difference to the situation, or anybody else but myself. Either I emotionally and physically invest in it and end up disappointed when things don't magically get fixed (and I am not naive enough to believe it's going to be that simple!), or I just continue with my apathy and stay slightly saner in the face of a situation I can do nothing about. Maybe that's selfish but on the flip side it can be argued that I, as an individual, as a person, am humble enough to realise that I cannot tackle problems that are bigger than me, and I do not inadvertently add to the problem by trying.
Phew so all that came out a bit too serious than I intended it to, so here's a funny picture to lighten up the mood!
My personal mantra so far has been "do what you can to make a difference but don't get overly involved in situations that are beyond your control". For example, I recycle when I can, I walk rather than take a bus, but I don't stand outside power plants with a placard protesting the rising levels of green house gases. I discussed the 'green issue' more at length over here. World poverty, starving kids in Somalia, the Darfur crisis, the numerous cases of animal abuse are the many things that vaguely bother me if I let it but since I can't actually find a global solution to fix these problems in one go, I do what I can (www.plan-uk.org and www.rspca.org.uk) and the rest of the time continue to exist in a bubble.
I've seen a lot of posts in a lot of SL blogs regarding the war, the LTTE, the Chinthanaya and 'white-vanning'. I read these occasionally when I have nothing better to do, because most of the time they discuss incidents and give opinions about things I was completely unaware of, and that's a good thing. A few of those posts are very well written, and gives a good taste of a myriad of diverse opinions regarding these issues. I never comment on those posts because more often than not the comments section disintegrates into a war of words between bloggers calling each other petty little names, and to be honest it all makes my head hurt a bit. Comments such as these really make my head hurt and also makes me want to cover my ears and go 'lalalalala' because it's just all a bit too disturbing. I'm like the ostrich that buries her head in the sand, hoping to make the bad bad things go away. Childish I know, but it works, albeit short term.
Maybe it's cowardly and maybe it's unpatriotic that I really don't care what happens and I've given up on ever envisioning a 'solution' to this war that's as old as I am. Maybe this mindset is part of the problem as I know many of my peers from SL share the same sense of apathy. The end of the day, the question of whether I get involved or not does not make the slightest difference to the situation, or anybody else but myself. Either I emotionally and physically invest in it and end up disappointed when things don't magically get fixed (and I am not naive enough to believe it's going to be that simple!), or I just continue with my apathy and stay slightly saner in the face of a situation I can do nothing about. Maybe that's selfish but on the flip side it can be argued that I, as an individual, as a person, am humble enough to realise that I cannot tackle problems that are bigger than me, and I do not inadvertently add to the problem by trying.
Phew so all that came out a bit too serious than I intended it to, so here's a funny picture to lighten up the mood!
10 people quipped in...:
don't worry. you'll live and learn and grow up to be more adult and tolerating. it'll jut happen.
don't you think so?
Funny... Just had a chat with a friend about this last night.
Having left the country when I was young has made me very disconnected from everything going on, and also, I think, without any proper right ("right" is the best word that comes at the moment) to say much. In fact, I remember making a comment on a blog awhile back and getting shot down pretty fast for that reason.
But I've been wondering recently - if, theoretically, one has the ability to do something about any situation, does he or she also bear a responsibility to do so?
Also, I'm beginning to wonder if disconnected, apathetic people aren't exactly what this particular debate needs.
I liked the heavy stuff *AND* the picture. :)
By the way ... Male hunting? It's a bad, bad, bad thing to hunt males.
Oh shit, wait, you said *WHALE* hunting?!?!?!!? Okay, so, that's bad too I guess. ;)
The reason I put that post up is because although it may not affect me now, it will affect me in the future.
Very often, people are apathetic because they don't really see how the situation affects them, even though in actual fact it does.
That post was, I think, a response to a comment left by Aadhavan a few days previously. He said,
"Yes it is shocking. I wish someone really protested it. Civil society response has been muted and the TNA is behaving like they can do little else besides doing a circus in the well of parliament. I have always thought that fairly affluent upper middle class Tamils will never be subject to this sort of thing, and maybe we won’t, but this prayer by a German theologian comes to mind…
““In Germany, they first came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist…. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew….. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist…. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Catholic…. Then they came for me – and by that time there was nobody left to speak up.”….. Martin Niemoller"
It reminded me of another quote by someone. You know the one that goes, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." And I know what I did makes little difference, but I try and do what I can now, hoping to learn enough to be able to make a bigger difference later.
But I agree with you about the headaches. I'm thinking of banning Just Mal.
Apathy is only to be expected when one has no investment, so to speak, in a problem.
I believe the expats who contribute usually have happy memories of the country and think of it as home. Viewed through the rose tinted glass of time the past probably looks more idyllic than it really was and hence they have a certain amount of investment in the situation and write a lot about it. Do you think this is why you feel apathetic?
I myself have to live here and I don't want the country to go down the plug hole. Emigration is probably not an option for me.
AS for Justmal, visit his website and have look at his profile and his writings. Does not appear to be too bad an egg although he can be obstreperous and irritating at times. He does come out with some personal attacks at time but if you don't respond and stick to the subject under discussion he tends to listen.
Well different things make different people tick, thats what makes the world go round...
Star: Alas, I think you've missed the point of my post completely. The post had nothing to do with me needing to 'grow up and become an adult and be more tolerating'. If anything, I feel like I am 23 going on 44. Anyway, briefly, the post had to do with how I don't care about things that don't personally involve me and the possible reasons behind that apathy. Hope that clears it up for you!
Christopher: I'd be inclined to agree with you when you say 'Having left the country when I was young has made me very disconnected...' but you know, I was actually worse when I was actually living in SL. I've lived there till I was 18 and I possibly cared even less then. At least now I am aware of how little I care, and that concerns me a bit, so paradoxically, that is caring:) Oh and you have a very good point about how this debate needs apathetically detached people who aren't overly hotheaded with the 'Sinhala only! Must eliminate all others!' attitude.
FBC: The picture is adorable isn't it:) I love cuteoverload! Oh and although whale hunting is very bad, male hunting can be fun sometimes;)!
Ravana: Lol I wasn't attacking your post or reasons for posting it or anything like that! Just used some of the 'comments' on your post (particularly the ones I linked to) as an example of how disturbing some people's attitudes can be. It was a real eye-opener! As you say, I do what I can when I can, but I don't see how arguing with other bloggers on a random blog can ever deliver a lasting peace solution to SL:)
Jack Point: No, not really. I've lived in SL till I was 18 and as I said previously I cared even less then. I'm not apathetic because it doesn't affect me; it does affect me as I'm Sri Lankan and I'd like to come back permanently at some point. It has more to do with years and years of conditioning, the typically apathetic "so what to do.." attitude of most Sri Lankans when faced with things like this. I just don't see it ever being solved and worrying about a solutionless problem is pointless. That is why I am apathetic.
N: Haha, thank you for that eye-opening gem of obviousness:P!
Elloooo cute doggie :D
evil is right. cute dog indeed. and that is as much as I'm willing to contribute ;)
Mr Evil & Sach: I know, he looks adorable. And he's actually smiling in that pic!
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