Apathy: A Closer Look

What does it mean to be apathetic? What does it mean to not care so much, or not care at all? Do you know?

It’s a confusing time. You have social networking sites where people seem to care about everything – from each other’s selfies, to celebrities, to societal issues and causes around the world – everyone is just in each other’s faces so much that you have to wonder, how much do they care? Do they really care?

I’ve actually decided to leave Facebook and lessen my online presence.

(Well, except for this blog. It’s always been my healing avenue, my release.)

What’s the point with social networking sites anyway? It’s all so virtual. You have everybody in there, and nobody left in real life. Everyone is so concerned about your “posts” but no one seems to care about you, or what really happens to you beyond your rantings, your quotes, your shares, your photos, and the image you’re trying to project.

People approach you like they know you, because, oh yeah, you’re Facebook “friends”. They “know” so much about your life. What do they know, really? Do they know how much lonely you are? Or do they know that your life revolves around checking their posts, or taking photos of all the stuff you’ve accumulated just so your life is always updated on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and everywhere “social”? Do they know you don’t really have friends who’ll take the time to visit you in your home because you are “always online” anyway?

I mean, what is connection? Do we have to be content with everything virtual nowadays?

So, if you ask me, what does it mean to be apathetic? This is what I think:

For me, it’s looking around and realizing that what we seem to care about is virtual, materialistic, cold and at the end of the day – not really there – nothing. Caring becomes very painful. I would rather be apathetic than care so much about nothing.

Maybe I’d rather be offline and disconnected, and open my life to people who are looking for depth, meaning and authentic connection in real life. Maybe there are apathetic people like me searching for the same thing.

Maybe this is what apathy really is when we take a closer look at it. Maybe the apathy we all feel and see is really about us wanting to connect more to our true selves and to one another.

Maybe.