this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2024
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Anyone else feel like the reason why humanity doesn’t bother to fix important issues for a long time is because the people simply don’t care enough to group up and fix them. I mean when I try to educate folks on complex problems they often seem like they don’t want to discuss it and quickly defend the status quo saying “that’s just how things are”

But we can’t keep ignoring these issues because then it could delay necessary progress for thousands of years.

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[–] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 2 points 48 minutes ago

pfft. what do I care. /s honestly I think its more the stress of survival because at least in the us even if you are doing pretty well its setup so a few bumps can have you completely fall into poverty. You pretty much have to be independently wealthy for it not to and even then medical things could take you out if your on the low end.

[–] Mandy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Yes, in every and all aspects.
Wars? Ukraine or Gaza.
Production? Chinas slavery
Sickness? 4 years ago.
Gaming? Triple a studios

Its everywhere to the point in hitting apathy against apathy myself

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

It's always been wars, always been slavery, always been sickness.

If anything, we have it much better than before. How do you think it was growing up during the world wars?

[–] Mandy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 57 minutes ago (1 children)

Those where just the easy ones out of the top of my head, we both know those are the the miniscule tip of the eisberg.

But dont you think you are just dismissing it yourself by saying we "always had those", sounds pretty apathetic to me.

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 1 points 28 minutes ago

Not to me, it just sounds normal. The reason people feel apathy is because there is a difference between expectation and reality that is very big for them.

It's the thought of "I need the world to be different for me to feel good" that is causing the apathy. You can change the thoughts on this and feel much, much better by being very grateful for having so much choice as a human being to find things you enjoy.

[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 13 points 3 hours ago (3 children)

Apathy is a coping mechanism

[–] moistclump@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

I’m. Tired. I wish I wasn’t.

[–] ApathyTree@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

It certainly has become one for me at any rate..

I used to care a lot about everything, and now I’m just so so tired of trying. Apathy feels like a poplar grove; just keeps growing, spreading, and outcompeting everything else until it takes over and ruins everything, because it takes an absolute ton of energy control spread.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 5 points 2 hours ago

And a surviving mechanism ; don't do anything (use up energy) if you don't need it like now.

Our brains are made for fruit picking and running in the jungle.

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

It's from experience. Older people know this world well. Doesn't matter what you vote for, power stays with corporations.

Young people tend to believe you can change things by voting, which is naive and a bit cute.

I used to feel apathy until I realized there is one thing I can control - me. I can choose to do fun things, replace bad friends with new ones, learn new skills, grow as a person. I can put my phone down and read books and stop watching social media and porn. I can change who I am right now. And I will feel good from doing so.

The society will stay the same, but my perception of my life will be enjoyable, which is all I can actually do. You don't have power over anything except yourself. Once you get that through your head, you understand how to not feel apathy anymore.

[–] bear@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 1 hour ago

You're not wrong. But do consider that those other people may know what works for them better than you think you do.

[–] Libb@jlai.lu 6 points 3 hours ago

I mean when I try to educate folks

Maybe that's one of the reasons they don't listen? I'm really sorry if what follows sounds a bit agressive, it's absolutely not what I wish, I just don't know how to say it more formally in English.

Sure, many people are very much not interested by anything that goes out of their usual ways but I would not be so certain it's the main issue at play, here.

I mean, why do you try to educate them? Are you their parents, or their teacher? Are you some kind of (moral/scientific) authority they (and we all) should listen to?

Personally, as one of those 'people' you're referring to, I tend to steer away from any person thinking they should educate others. Not that I refuse to educate myself and certainly not that I know all there is to know, far from it. It's just that in my experience, way too often, all what those self-proclaimed teachers teach is how great/admirable their little person is and, incidentally, more often than not why we should then rush to buy their latest book, or their whatever it is they're selling. Imho, there is little value in that kind of teaching and most people would be right to ignore it. I would even say that I wish more people would stop listening to those snake-oil vendors.

Once again, I'm not saying, you're such a person — how would I know, I don't know you — just that it's too frequent to not express some serious reserves when faced with it.

As tor the reason why people refuse to listen? Beside what I just said, I think most people already have enough things to deal with in their day to day lives, a lot of real shitty things, to not be willing to spend their free time listening to some 'teaching'.

Instead, you may want to show by example, by doing things and not by speech? Let them be surprised or intrigued by your very own actions and then, maybe, let them start a conversation by asking you question. They should be much more receptive if they do the first step, and you may get more positive results. Hopefully.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 8 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Gaza is all I need to know about humanity...

Never again until Israelis do a genocide then it is america, fuck yeah! Kill 'em all!

[–] DaseinPickle@leminal.space 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I mean the US has done a lot of genocide. Hitler took inspiration from how the US dealt with it’s native people. It’s not that strange that a nation founded on genocide and slavery is okay with that.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 2 points 2 hours ago

We at least we are coming around that genocide is cool when the good guys do it!

Decades of bullshit undone!

[–] kava@lemmy.world 16 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

most people are caught up in their own day to day lives. it's just the nature of things.

you have to go to work to pay your bills. your girlfriend wants to go out to dinner every once in a while. you have to go have dinner at your parents. you have to walk your dog. you have to brush your teeth, do your laundry. you have to figure out what you're gonna eat for dinner. should probably schedule that dentist appointment soon. need to do my taxes.

etc

really doesn't leave you that much time or energy to worry about the big problems of the world.

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

That’s pretty accurate! I just wish they wouldn’t be so insistent on defending the status quo when it has problems like world hunger.

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 9 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

"Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others."

There's little to nothing I can do to fix world hunger, if I can't feed myself.

[–] tomi000@lemmy.world -3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

There are very few people in first world countries who cant feed themselves

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

There are also very few people who take everything extremely literally, yet here you are.

[–] tomi000@lemmy.world -1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

I dont understand what youre saying then. You literally made an analogy for an emergency situation in which you make sure of your own survival first, then tend to others.

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

I apologize for my snarky remark, but I'm not playing this game with you.

[–] FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

The battle against global starvation is one of the few things that's actually going well...

https://assets.ourworldindata.org/uploads/2018/03/Famine-death-rate-since-1860s-revised-768x540.png

[–] troglodytis@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago
[–] classic@fedia.io 4 points 3 hours ago

It's a cross between our innate limitations, a societal system which works against us but continues from sheer momentum, and then by design by those who benefit. I don't think most people woke up and decided to live apathetic lives. We are chronically cognitively tasked

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

I did, but I don't care anymore.

...I'll see myself out. :P

In all seriousness I just don't know if I have it in me to keep paying attention to a trainwreck that I have no control over. I can only help my local community in some limited manner, anything outside of that all I can do is vote and yell at a "representative" that is bribed to not listen.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

It's a disgrace! Somebody should do something!

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 hours ago

Someone should at least try to do something!

[–] ripripripriprip@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

I think that this problem is similar to the monkeysphere: there are too many issues and problems for us to worry about, so we typically pick the problems that are closest to us and most solvable.

This is basically the same idea that someone else mentioned in this thread.

[–] Random123@fedia.io 3 points 2 hours ago

Even then, people tend to not even give a shit about local issues unless its something so obvious. People wont really give a shit about electing the right officials but will complain about their flammable water until someONE stands up to organize and rile up the politicians

Given that, i believe its something worse than simple overload of issues.

The issue is people are too distracted and living in their own world. Its not that they cant handle worrying about other issues its because people are living on autopilot

[–] FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

Maybe globalism was a bad idea? Maybe we should just create a lot of monkey spheres and each find our own local and relative level of happiness?

[–] Random123@fedia.io 2 points 2 hours ago

Nah i wouldnt blame globalism if anything id blame on the human tendency to take the path of least resistance. Where convenience trumps all

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 hours ago

The shifting of manufacturing outside the region is a massive problem.

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Covid broke our brains, literally.

Do y'all notice how people seem to have gotten more aggressive after covid.

Its like the Lead-Crime hypothesis, but Covid-Crime hypothesis

[–] Krono@lemmy.today 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

The statistically low levels of crime we are currently experiencing do not support your hypothesis.

Dude... We have a convicted felon and anti-constitution insurrectionist in the highest office of the US. Crime rate just went back up. Dont forget all the hate crimes he'll inspire around the country. Murders might have gone down, but the many instances of racial harassment, that are most likely going to be unreported, will skyrocket. Police aren't gonna make a report until you've been injured enough to end up in the hospital.

[–] stinerman@midwest.social 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)
[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 2 points 2 hours ago