deep within

So many numb their pain, to say to themselves that it’s ok and then go on. What happens when you are numbed from anything that happens? You stop feeling. No pain nor joy, no anger nor rest, no sad tears nor happy tears. You stop empathizing. “I stopped feeling a long time ago so I guess everyone is numbed too.”

What is this I see? And then I remembered what my pastor (Uncle Mike) in YC talked about eons ago. It’s amazing that I remember it….Yup, APATHY! Oh wait, it should be just be apathy…no shouts about it, it’s so subtle that people ignore it and forget that it has intoxicated many lives.

According to Wikipedia, apathy is “the lack of emotion, motivation, or enthusiasm. Apathy is a psychological term for a state of indifference — where an individual is unresponsive or “indifferent” to aspects of emotional, social, or physical life. Clinical apathy is considered to be at an elevated level, while a moderate level might be considered depression, and an extreme level could be diagnosed as a dissociative disorder. The physical aspect of apathy associated with physical deterioration, muscle loss, and lack of energy is called lethargy — which has many pathological causes as well.

Apathy can be object-specific — toward a person, activity or environment. It is a common reaction to stress where it manifests as “learned helplessness” and is commonly associated with depression. It can also reflect a non-pathological lack of interest in things one does not consider important.

Certain drugs are known to cause symptoms associated with or leading to apathy. Apathy is also very similar to laziness, and may be an extreme form of it.”

Apathy in a person is an apathetic person who is really a pathetic. :S Shorry…couldn’t help but do that..heh..Anyway, how does one develop apathy? A baby isn’t apathetical even tho’ it’s helpless most if not all the time. In fact, it cries when it needs something and laughs when it’s amused. A mother doesn’t stop creating delicious food for her family if it is appreciated. A student studies in order to be rewarded with good grades. And kids never get tired do they?

I guess when we are let down by ourselves, other people or circumstances, apathy creeps in. How to be truly alive then? Whatever we dream of becoming may never come true, what we would want to own we may not even have a glimpse of, who we want to see encouraged may turn their backs on us, projects in which our efforts have been poured into might just be useless and hopes for the joy set before us may just be an unfulfilled promise.

How can we be truly alive? Think about it. An apathetical person wouldn’t.