What level of apathy do you maintain toward world issues?

My apathy level in this respect is zero.

I’m in a phase where I don’t care about anything outside of my own small bubble. This doesn’t mean I cared so much before, but I was simply making more of an effort to be aware. I’m in a pretty intense school right now and I need to focus all of my attention on this.

When I get more time to care later, I’ll see what I can do, lol. I do think some of us have a tendency to care about the issues we relate to. For example, I grew up watching poorer people work their butts off, so I’m more inclined to support deconstruction of the oligarchy here in America.

I try not to have apathy about anything. I wish I could make the world better.

Not a lot to be honest…
I give to charity when I’m made to feel really guilty about some things, but other than that, I just want to concentrate on my life and being a better person.

Low level and I’m not even ashamed.

My apathy has grown to the point that I rarely even watch the news. I only barely care about the weather reports.

I do as much as I can, such as click on Thehungersite.org every day. It is a legitimate site that gives money to the poor based on the number of people viewing/clicking on the site every day.

I regularly donate money to several service organizations, but most of my uncommitted money (to pay bills) goes to my own family.

You can’t save them all. It would be easy enough to sweat every bad thing that goes on in the world and turn yourself into an emotional mess. If someone has the freedom of no family to support or job to keep then get with the Peace Corps and make a difference. I think what the average person can do is be vigilant with their own affairs so as not to become a reason to need rescuing by others thus making more need in the world. If everyone would just do that, just watch their own ass and not be stupid it would help more than anyone can know.

@woodcutter I don’t think “watching your own ass” applies to just being born in a poorly developed or poorly run country. Circumstances happen. Fortunate people as ourselves should express more gratitude and lend a hand instead of just saying I got mine; you get yours.

@Facade You misunderstand me….but you ain’t alone hon, no worries, eh? Plenty of really fucked up down on their luck right here in the richest country in the world. All I’m saying is…don’t be those people.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve become more apathetic to most world issues. The way I see it, you can’t save everybody, and we would literally kill ourselves (or at least go insane) if we were aware of every bad thing that happens. I’ve defintely backed off from watching the news, but there are a few issues that concern me still.

I can’t help most of what is going wrong in the world each day. I donate to organizations that teach people to help themselves because that is better for them. You know the old saying give someone a fish and they have dinner for the day, teach them to fish and they have dinner every day. And I help when someone comes into my life. I recently lived in an area where there were many hungry and abused kids and dogs. I fed the ones I could, washed them and took care of them. Did all that I could for 6 years. Then it started to drive me crazy, I had to get out of there because no matter how much I did, it was never going to make the problems go away. And the kids were products of their environment, no matter how much I or the government or the charities did, they mostly grow up to abuse or neglect their own. I showed the ones I could that there is another way, that is all I could do.

I’m not sure if that makes me apathetic or a coward or a realist?

GQ by the way, interesting answers.

My own answer is a bit of a combination of @rooeytoo ‘s and @MilkyWay ‘s answers. If someone tells you that they care about every single negative event which occurs in the world they can’t possibly be truthful imho.

I donate and volunteer in spheres of existence that cross my own for the most part. E.G. A piece of my paycheck comes out every month toward the research of a condition my own son is afflicted with.

Interesting that the responses that say they have great apathy have much lurve. Does that mean we think that apathy is a good thing?

@rooeytoo I think it just means we appreciate honesty.

@MilkyWay – that could be the reason, but on some topics, honesty is attacked, unless the honesty goes along with the usual line of thought. If that’s the case apathy is becoming the norm instead of the exception. I don’t know if that is good or bad, and I must admit I fall into that catagory as well.

@rooeytoo It means people appreciate reinforcement and affirmation for their faults; it lessens the guilt.

I didn’t say I was proud of my apathy, just that it exists.. Big Time. My tiny world is enough for me to handle without thinking about the rest of the world. I just don’t care.

@Facade That is if you consider apathy a “fault”.

Apathy isn’t a fault. Most people are not really in a position in life to do much for others that would really matter. If someone wants to ease their conscience by pouring money down a bottomless hole then its on them. Some countries just have a fucked up way of doing things which would be the main reason its people suffer. How many servicemen gave their lives to help the Somali’s food situation? Fuck Somalia.