Apathy

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." I always thought Rhett made more sense than Scarlett, the shallow, selfish little twit. I can't resist digression. My reaction to some recent blogs I have read and many comments at the end of articles I read on news sites such as CNN or ABC News has to be described as apathetic. I marvel that people have such passionate involvement in things that they can work up a sweat just posting a reactionary rant about some issue or whatever they react to very strongly.

It wouldn't make my day to complain about what some starlet chose to wear to an award ceremony--who cares? I don't lose any sleep over who is currently in rehab--why should I care? Some civil discourse might be important to the advancement of civilization but when we spend so much time arguing about who has the right answer, nothing gets done, so maybe that is the ultimate goal. I wouldn't have made a good lawyer because I'm not on a quest for my next good argument.

My reaction to "stuff" is "What do you care?" Why do people get so passionate about all the things they think are wrong and need to be changed yesterday? Having learned a long time ago that disappointment is the natural product of futile expectations, I can't get too worked up about stuff. I don't really care if people self-destruct in the multitude of ways they can create. It's unfortunate, but I can't control anyone but myself.

I can't imagine getting worked up about something to the extent that I would be willing to harm someone, intentionally insult someone, or be willing to die for some lofty-sounding cause. It does anger me that people would overstep their bounds and harm others. There is never a good reason for it beyond self-preservation.

I firmly believe in the cliches of my childhood: "Your rights end where my nose begins," or "Live and let live," or "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I grew up in a world where you understood that you could do what you wanted, within the law, as long as it included leaving other people to do the same. Unfortunately, therein lies great conflict when those needs overlap.

I firmly believe we don't have the right to make choices for other people. Where did humans ever get the notion that we have the right to impose our own values on other humans? I like to quiz myself with the ultimate question--how important is this in the big picture? I prefer to blow off the stress and save myself the aggravation of worrying about things I can't change.