Overcoming Apathy

[Yer_Blues]

Ok, I can live with that. Good luck overcoming your nature.

I wish you the same luck. I do not discount or think we are working against our nature, just to clarify. It's just that we aren't born with a very good set of tools for modern western life. There is a reason that there is far more depression and other MENTAL illnesses in rich, developed nations than where people are living more naturally/struggling and competing in an environment with more adversity and limited resources.

 

I don't have any issue with the natural. I think that trying to suppress natural urges and such is actually unhealthy. I think by examining theocracies and other situations where nature is considered "bad" or "evil" shows how terrible of a mindset this is. I am just saying that natural isn't the almighty "good" or "imperative" either. We are born with a brain, and we are faced with struggles. Our coping mechanisms can be healthy or unhealthy, effective or ineffective, but if they originate from our own brain (which is our nature), than they are all able to be considered natural. That's why I don't look too much into it.

Edited December 30, 2010 by Yer_Blues

[Surrealist]

Two points raised in the above responses that I think are worth reiterating here:

 

1) A structured, controlled environment (perceived or otherwise). Hence your commitment to training and diet but lack of (for want of a better term) enthusiasm and commitment to other life areas. I say this, because I am the same.

 

2) Expectations verses wants. Attempting to live up to expectations, especially expectations imposed by others, is a sure way of leading to frustration and burnout.

 

All the pushing, shoving and forcing motivation may sound strong and noble, and yeah it can certainly work toward making some progress provided it is not indefinite, but it won't do any good in the long term if it leads to burn out, fatigue and exhaustion.

 

Would those who push this line of thought have any comments around this? Would it not be wise to investigate ways of minimising such an outcome, if it can't be avoided altogether?

[wuggle]

I would suggest a method for fighing apathy, one that I tried many many years ago. Put aside one evening and one night (ideally not too cold). Find the nearest cemetry and spend the evening walking round looking at and reading the stones, then find a place that seems comfortable and sit down. Spend the night just sitting there thinking about all the messages on the stones and think about the people that once were.

 

I know it sounds incredible silly and cliched but it stands a good chance of working. When you finally realise the fantastic enormity of an individual life, the fantastice meaningless\meaningfullness of being here at all, it is very liberating. You start to realise that most of what is important really isn't. you start to ask youself different questions, what could I do ? what could I be? what should I be ?.

 

It can take you down strange lines of thought and you might not find the answers that you want (I know I haven't yet) but it is definitely not apathy, frustration at not knowing why the bloody hell you are here, frustration at not knowing what the hell you are supposed to be doing, yes, but definitely not apathy.

 

But just as bloody frustrating .

 

Good luck, let me know if you find the answers.

[USMCHokie]

Wuggle, that is a very interesting, albeit unusual, method...but something that just might be crazy to work...

 

And one of the problems I have is that I don't really find anything that is truly important to me...I mean everything has its purpose and role in my life, but I feel so miniscule and trivial in the grand scheme of things...it feels very Matrix-y, where I'm just another person mindlessly going through the motions of life...and that's all there is to it...

[northern_sky]

I would suggest a method for fighing apathy, one that I tried many many years ago. Put aside one evening and one night (ideally not too cold). Find the nearest cemetry and spend the evening walking round looking at and reading the stones, then find a place that seems comfortable and sit down. Spend the night just sitting there thinking about all the messages on the stones and think about the people that once were.

 

I know it sounds incredible silly and cliched but it stands a good chance of working. When you finally realise the fantastic enormity of an individual life, the fantastice meaningless\meaningfullness of being here at all, it is very liberating. You start to realise that most of what is important really isn't. you start to ask youself different questions, what could I do ? what could I be? what should I be ?.

 

It can take you down strange lines of thought and you might not find the answers that you want (I know I haven't yet) but it is definitely not apathy, frustration at not knowing why the bloody hell you are here, frustration at not knowing what the hell you are supposed to be doing, yes, but definitely not apathy.

 

But just as bloody frustrating .

 

Good luck, let me know if you find the answers.

 

God, that sounds creepy as hell. I'd probably only last a few minutes before I started freaking out about getting attacked by zombies. It's a cool idea, though.

[USMCHokie]

USMCHokie, it sounds to me like you are a high performer in your life.

 

You just haven't learned how to be the director yet. Try speculating on the life you want, the actions you want to take, the results you want to achieve.

 

I say this because it makes me uncomfortable hearing that you are falling short on your own expectations. There's something about having your own 'expectations' for yourself that doesn't jive for me. It's almost like I'm hearing that you are striving for expectations but not for what you really want. That would cause apathy, for sure.

 

It's because I don't know what I want...just looking at my education and career path, people usually react by saying, "WTF?!" My only expectations are that I should succeed at whatever I'm doing at that moment, but who knows how long that moment will last...and if I fall short, I'll either switch gears to something else or just be content with mediocrity, as is the case with the social aspect of my life...

 

When I was younger, I worked hard to always sit at the top of whatever I was doing, whether it was school or sports, but as I got older, I quickly realized that in the end, we're all just mediocre...so why fight it...?

[northern_sky]

I would suggest a method for fighing apathy, one that I tried many many years ago. Put aside one evening and one night (ideally not too cold). Find the nearest cemetry and spend the evening walking round looking at and reading the stones, then find a place that seems comfortable and sit down.

 

Then take out a shovel and start digging until you have a nice sized hole, crawl inside and get cozy. Let the dirt above rain down on you softly..

 

Seems like a good cure for apathy.

[USMCHokie]

God, that sounds creepy as hell. I'd probably only last a few minutes before I started freaking out about getting attacked by zombies. It's a cool idea, though.

 

You know they have books on how to deal with zombies...I saw them yesterday at the bookstore.

[Surrealist]

On a similar note to wuggle, though different stimulus, I often watch the TV show called "I shouldn't be alive".

 

Watch it, seriously, makes you think just how much people can go through and fight on beyond what is DEATH staring them in the face, yet live to tell the story.

 

Only problem is, a couple of mins after the show is ended, tend to forget what you once saw and back in the dumps again.

[USMCHokie]

On a similar note to wuggle, though different stimulus, I often watch the TV show called "I shouldn't be alive".

 

Watch it, seriously, makes you think just how much people can go through and fight on beyond what is DEATH staring them in the face, yet live to tell the story.

 

Only problem is, a couple of mins after the show is ended, tend to forget what you once saw and back in the dumps again.

 

I guess the whole premise behind these ideas is to value the life we have and the potential for greatness that we all have...

 

And back to what you said in an earlier post, I agree that having forced external (or even internal) motivation can lead to burn out and general unhappiness...I don't necessarily have any external forces constantly raining down on me and pressuring me to do this or that...but sometimes I create pressures within myself to be someone that I know in my mind I can be, but in my heart I don't have faith I can be...