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| Another mammal not thinking about Paris Hilton |
But I digress. Due to recent events, I find my entire world (see: Facebook news feed) flooded with people who are really invested in said recent events. Either they genuinely care about [insert celebrity death/sex scandal, secularized holiday, conspiracy, sporting event, etc.], or they despise the fact that everyone cares about [insert celebrity death/sex scandal, secularized holiday, conspiracy, sporting event, etc.].
Now, as you clever lot have probably guessed, I find that I don't fit into either of these categories. And that is the apathist's dilemma. We don't care. At all. We don't care if [insert celebrity]'s sex-tape was "accidentally leaked" to the media, but we also don't care if our friends think said sex-tape is the most interesting thing since sliced bread.
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| Ironically, Sliced Bread's sex tapes were largely ignored |
I am not suggesting that apathists are heartless, uncaring drones who will probably go unnoticed during the inevitable robot apocalypse. Quite the opposite. All the apathists I know (all six of them) are loving, engaging, inquisitive individuals who care a great deal about that which directly impacts their lives. What I am saying is that apathists are not necessarily going to invest in "recent events" simply because society is saying they are important.
Perhaps I have been too abstract thus far.
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| like this, but with less paint |
Celebrities
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| Okay, maybe this is a cheap shot |
Still...I don't care who they film themselves having sex with (unless it happens to be me), who they marry/divorce, what they wear to the grocery store, or how many kids they crank out.
I understand that people find the death of a celebrity to be very tragic. Some people really are invested in celebrities, so when their favorite musician/actor/princess dies, they become very emotional. I'm not one of those people. I understand that death is sad, especially when someone dies at a young age. I feel sorry for their families, but that is about the extent to which I care.
I am largely unimpressed by elaborate funeral processions crowded by weeping fans who probably spend their free time building shrines in their basements (I guess). Conversely, I am not offended by those people who really do care about the death of [insert dead celebrity]. I can hardly claim to be an arbiter of priorities. I'm an apathist. I most sincerely don't care.
The Holiday Season
Any holiday season, really. It seems that you can't swing a stick around without hitting another holiday. Many people seem to really like holidays. Party supply stores love holidays. "The Holiday Season" which produces a phenomenon called "The Holiday Spirit," fills many people with a general sense of euphoria and goodwill. Or, so I've been told.The holiday season (which is a euphemism for "I'm to PC to call it Christmas") can have some nasty side-effects. Some people feel angry, depressed, resentful, and several other negative emotions. The sort of emotions that cause them to say (and I paraphrase): "Fuck Christmas!" Given the expectations and sense of obligation that seems to be tied to the "holiday season" they make a compelling argument.
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| You thought we forgot, didn't you? |
As for me , the holiday season fills me with a vague sense of "meh." What can I say? I'm an apathist.
Other holidays I don't really care about include (but are not limited to):
- Valentine's day (I'm not a catholic)
- St. Patrick's day (I'm still not a catholic)
- Cinco de Mayo (which, by the way, is NOT the Mexican independence day)
- Easter
- Thanksgiving
- Canadian Boxing Day (has nothing to do with boxing. or even boxes)
- Fête des lumières
- April 20th
Establish a National "Let's get Hammered" Day, and then we'll talk.
Some people are extremely religious. It's true. I've seen it. Although I am not a religious person myself, I recognize that religious expression can be positive and deeply meaningful (when not being used as a weapon).
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| Something like this |
Religion
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| Let's keep it classy, folks |
Some people absolutely despise religion. I don't blame them. Plenty of negative things have happened in the name of religion. Anti-theism is a valid viewpoint (as long as it isn't being used as a weapon).
Then, because spirituality is complicated, and (ideally) personal, there are all of the perspectives in between. This is actually most people.
I'm an apatheist (a real word!). I don't care. Not even a tiny bit.
- Shady Conspiracies- They don't make sense to me, but what do I know? Maybe the government really is using nanotechnology to control our minds through our breakfast cereal.
- Politics- No comment.
- Any issue I've forgotten- If I can't even remember an issue, it is probably because I don't care. Or I'm developing Alzheimer's. I'd feel more comfortable assuming the former.
