How much do you care?

[TheIronRuler]

How much do you care?

It's a simple question, and within it, there are numerous others.

Do you care?

Why do you care?

Why do you not care about something else?

What makes you care?

The intro gone, here's the gist of it : There are subjects you obviously care about, which I reckon are things that you're in contact with daily. How much do you care about them in your life? Look at that, and think to yourself - how much do you care about the people living elsewhere, suffering the same problems you face? Then think again about all of those people living elsewhere, suffering other problems - of famine, and racism, and wholesale murder. How much do you care?

You may not care at all. You may care as if you do for your own family. Where are you on the scale? Do you care someone else got ripped off at a gaming store? Do you care someone else went to bed today with nothing to eat, because there's nothing left?

Do you look away, pretend it's not happening? When you see a homeless man in the street, do you pretend he's not there and walk faster? What makes you care so much about people halfway across the world when across the block there's a bloke who hand't had a good meal, a hot bath and a warm bed in ten years?

Why do you care? Are you a sensitive person? Do you like helping others? Do you just think about what's relevant to your life? I care. I care enough to ask.

 

[TWRule]

I suspect you have a more defined (perhaps rhetorical if asked) question in mind, but I'll bite anyway.

I don't care about the sorts of things most people pursue (money, comfort, etc.), nor that most people claim to care about (politics, current events, social justice issues, etc.). I am not a believer so I have no convictions of the conventionally religious sort. Nor do I follow or marvel at the latest scientific or technological advances. Nor have I the least bit interest in history as it is popularly presented. Also, I do not spend much time aligning my concerns with my biological family members for the sake of 'family life'.

Though I have specific reasons for each of these, and much more of the like, it boils down to this: I care about very few things, and the reason I devalue one thing or the next is generally something to the tune of "there are/should be more important things in life".

I couldn't strictly define what that something more important is/should be, though. If I had to put it into words, I might say something like: carrying out the search for meaning in life, a worthwhile human destiny and, if you like, path to salvation, on an existential scale, dwarfs all other matters in significance. Put more casually, you might even say that what I care about most is finding something worth genuinely caring about with all of my being.

So no, I don't spend an awful lot of time thinking about or trying to help others with material or political aid. I'm less concerned that the man sleeping on the street is physically homeless or malnourished than I am that even if I provided him a warm bed and meal, he might still be profoundly alienated, lonely, bored, anxious, without any sense of direction or fulfillment. I'd rather I could offer his spirit a home and hearth rather than his body a house. Currently, I cannot make any such offer, so I leave him be. Were I in his situation, I would expect the same without bitterness, but with understanding.

That is not to say I am 'carefree'. I know that this very problem (of meaning) must be addressed; after all, I cannot even properly guide my own life without a sense of direction. I have sworn to address it. The only first step I can think to take to do so thus far is to establish genuine relationships with others, especially those similarly concerned with addressing this problem (explicitly or implicitly). Thus, I take my intimate interpersonal relationships (which, despite my efforts, are still few in number and of tenuous strength) very seriously. I have organized my life as much as possible in such a way as to help opportunities for forming and furthering such relationships arise.

Some may judge my response lacking, and I accept that - but I currently have no motivation to do otherwise. Call me callous, self-absorbed, etc., if you wish. If it came down to it - if others, disgusted at my worthlessness, stripped the shirt off my back and took my residence to give to charity - I would not fight them - especially if it meant at least one of them would realize that I would then be no more homeless than before, and that they are similarly impoverished.

 

[Xan Krieger]

Basically if it's beyond my control I don't care. If I can do something about it and it's a good cause then I might care. I used to care more but that just lead to stress so I decided it's best to say "fuck it" and leave most things alone.

 

[Weaver]

I care about: my friends, my family, coffee, music, games, computer science.

I care about politics insomuch as it affects me. Thus I'm very much interested only in my countries politics, and don't really care that much about other places.

I'd feed every homeless person if I could, but given I'm broke as fuck I can't afford to. I can barely feed myself.

 

[lacktheknack]

I care about what's in front of me. And I care about it A LOT.

I mean that quite literally - out of sight, out of mind. Plop a homeless man in front of me, I really want to give him money. Put me in a panel discussing how to deal with homeless people, and I can get a lot more ruthless than I care to admit. I can talk about wars in other countries coldly and rationally... until you start talking about personal war stories or showing pictures. Then I disintegrate into a seething rage.

That kind of thing.

 

[shrekfan246]

I care about nothing.

I am a heartless, soulless automaton designed to spread J-Pop and discuss relatively low-stakes subjects on video game internet forums.

Everything else is so much white noise in my sound receptors.

Good day.

Spoiler

I don't pretend bad things aren't happening, but most of the time I don't actively dwell on them either. Generally speaking, I try to mostly concern myself with things which directly impact me. If I tried to care about everything wrong with everyone in the world, I'd go mad.

Which isn't to say I don't care, in the sense that I acknowledge "these things" are bad and wish I could do something to make it better. But I can't. So, oh well.

Have some Kyary.

 

[Qwurty2.0]

I care about nothing.

I am a heartless, soulless automaton designed to spread J-Pop and discuss relatively low-stakes subjects on video game internet forums.

Everything else is so much white noise in my sound receptors.

Good day.

Spoiler

I don't pretend bad things aren't happening, but most of the time I don't actively dwell on them either. Generally speaking, I try to mostly concern myself with things which directly impact me. If I tried to care about everything wrong with everyone in the world, I'd go mad.

Which isn't to say I don't care, in the sense that I acknowledge "these things" are bad and wish I could do something to make it better. But I can't. So, oh well.

Have some Kyary.

if (canMakeDifference == True) {
.....ICare();
.....DoSomething(actionsToDo[2]);
}
else {
.....ContinueWithLife(beHappy = True);
}

PlayRealMusic([URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogMNV33AhCY"]AwesomeSongs[19][/URL]);

return 0;

 

[Shadow flame master]

I do care about some things to a certain extent. If I can help then I will, if I can't then I'll point them to someone who can. As far as caring about things that happen to other people, if they aren't my friends or immediate family members, then while I look on from afar but won't take any action.

 

[shrekfan246]

I care about nothing.

I am a heartless, soulless automaton designed to spread J-Pop and discuss relatively low-stakes subjects on video game internet forums.

Everything else is so much white noise in my sound receptors.

Good day.

Spoiler

I don't pretend bad things aren't happening, but most of the time I don't actively dwell on them either. Generally speaking, I try to mostly concern myself with things which directly impact me. If I tried to care about everything wrong with everyone in the world, I'd go mad.

Which isn't to say I don't care, in the sense that I acknowledge "these things" are bad and wish I could do something to make it better. But I can't. So, oh well.

Have some Kyary.

if (canMakeDifference == True) {
.....ICare();
.....DoSomething(actionsToDo[2]);
}
else {
.....ContinueWithLife(beHappy = True);
}

...

GG WP

Spoiler: Have all of them

Honestly? Much as the post itself made me laugh, your username in conjunction with that is what really killed me.

EDIT: Also, Pendulum is awesome, as I may have pointed out in the music thread earlier.

 

[Gennadios]

None. First of all I work security, I can't afford to care because I have to see and do things that people might lose sleep over. I'd suck at my job if I cared.

Second, I've noticed that both homeless people and door to door charity solicitors both follow the same playbook. They try to corner you into saying that you care about something and then use that as leverage to guilt you into change or a donation. I used to pretend I cared because I thought that was the socially normal thing to do, but eventually realized that if you admit to not caring, you will rob them of emotional ammunition to use against you.

 

[Spider RedNight]

I have a feeling that my emotions get mixed up with my thoughts and those get skewed because I have the feeling there's something wrong upstairs but I think I TRY not to care at all except for with my family, whom I care very much about.

I still live by the "conceal don't feel" mentality but I guess I'm more sensitive than I think because--

I just decided I'm not making like any sense at all.

I deeply care for my family and very close friends but everything else I shrug off or don't or I don't even know. I know I should care more about myself but I don't but I care about my kitty and menial things like whether or not someone might see my drawings or actually pay attention to what I say but those aren't the things I NEED to care about because that comes off as me being selfish.

Seeeee? I'm making like ZERO sense. I'm just gonna stop talking now

 

[EvanJO]

I care about my self quite a bit. Aside from that...eh.

 

[TheIronRuler]

None. First of all I work security, I can't afford to care because I have to see and do things that people might lose sleep over. I'd suck at my job if I cared.

Second, I've noticed that both homeless people and door to door charity solicitors both follow the same playbook. They try to corner you into saying that you care about something and then use that as leverage to guilt you into change or a donation. I used to pretend I cared because I thought that was the socially normal thing to do, but eventually realized that if you admit to not caring, you will rob them of emotional ammunition to use against you.

.
I care. I only choose when to give my money and to whom, and no matter hod much emotional manipulation is used, if I don't want to help you, I won't. On several occasions I met a homeless man in the street begging for coins - I went to a corner-store and got two cokes, sat down with him and we drank it. On a different occasion I sat down with an artist, a 62 year old immigrant who was playing the saxophone, and we talked jazz for half an hour before I left him a twenty and my thanks, and I hardly heard him play. More than a couple of times a man came up to me asking me to donate money to poor starving families, and I asked him how I know he would give it to them or just put it in his pocket. I don't trust these people. I invited a lone soldier to my home for the week-end, he ate with me, slept in my room, we had fun and went out for a drink. Nice bloke. I don't give away my money and pretend it fixes things automatically, and makes me a better person.

 

[SmugFrog]

Caring and doing something about those less fortunate are 2 different things. Do I care about the things going on in various parts of the world that thousands of miles from me? Yes. Can I do anything about it? No. So I don't dwell on it or worry about it.

If I tried to feed every homeless person I wouldn't be able to feed my own family. To answer your original questions:

How much do you care?
Do you care?
Why do you care?
Why do you not care about something else?
What makes you care?

1) 7/10 right now.
2) Yes.
3) Various reasons: Personal beliefs, caring about others, the right thing
4) Doesn't impact me or doesn't seem important. Some people's "care" contradicts others.
5) Satan... I mean Jesus! I guess when the cause is important to my beliefs, especially when it impacts me, friends, or family.

...designed to spread J-Pop...

Have some Kyary.

No! You're doing it now! We're going to have an intervention.

 

[TheIronRuler]

Caring and doing something about those less fortunate are 2 different things. Do I care about the things going on in various parts of the world that thousands of miles from me? Yes. Can I do anything about it? No. So I don't dwell on it or worry about it.

If I tried to feed every homeless person I wouldn't be able to feed my own family. To answer your original questions:

How much do you care?
Do you care?
Why do you care?
Why do you not care about something else?
What makes you care?

1) 7/10 right now.
2) Yes.
3) Various reasons: Personal beliefs, caring about others, the right thing
4) Doesn't impact me or doesn't seem important. Some people's "care" contradicts others.
5) Satan... I mean Jesus! I guess when the cause is important to my beliefs, especially when it impacts me, friends, or family.

...designed to spread J-Pop...

Have some Kyary.

No! You're doing it now! We're going to have an intervention.

.
So you could care about some things, but choose not to, because you could do nothing to change it? How does that work in your mind? Why not attempt to make a difference is you do care, instead of suppressing the feels?

 

[Harpalyce]

I care as much as I can. Having a soft heart has gotten me into trouble and I suspect I'll always be in mental rehab after assuming for much of my life that being a doormat and being used by others was the way a friendship was supposed to go. One could say I care too much because worrying about things I can't control nor affect is my brain's number one hobby (besides not knowing what to do with this weird serotonin stuff. do you eat it? do you put it on your head? who knows?? not my neurotransmitters, that's for sure).

Sometimes the hardest part about caring is to step back and care for yourself, too.

 

[Dimitriov]

I'm pleased to say I care very little. In fact, I care more about some random stranger's grammatical errors on the internet than I do about his hypothetical sick mother. And even my inner (or sometimes outer) grammar-Nazi doesn't really care about that.

While I understand that some people just do care about other people, what I can't begin to fathom is why anyone thinks that's a good quality.

Now, I do of course care about my friends and family, my own hopes and aspirations, and so forth. But there is no type of person I trust less than someone who expresses genuine concern over the fate of people they have never even met.

 

[DaWaffledude]

I'm pleased to say I care very little. In fact, I care more about some random stranger's grammatical errors on the internet than I do about his hypothetical sick mother. And even my inner (or sometimes outer) grammar-Nazi doesn't really care about that.

While I understand that some people just do care about other people, what I can't begin to fathom is why anyone thinks that's a good quality.

Now, I do of course care about my friends and family, my own hopes and aspirations, and so forth. But there is no type of person I trust less than someone who expresses genuine concern over the fate of people they have never even met.

... Why?

 

[Dimitriov]

I'm pleased to say I care very little. In fact, I care more about some random stranger's grammatical errors on the internet than I do about his hypothetical sick mother. And even my inner (or sometimes outer) grammar-Nazi doesn't really care about that.

While I understand that some people just do care about other people, what I can't begin to fathom is why anyone thinks that's a good quality.

Now, I do of course care about my friends and family, my own hopes and aspirations, and so forth. But there is no type of person I trust less than someone who expresses genuine concern over the fate of people they have never even met.

... Why?

Do you believe that caring about others is a good thing? Why? and is that an easy question to answer for you?

I hate to answer a question with a question, but I don't think this will really be a productive discussion. As I suggested, the idea that caring about strangers could be a good trait make absolutely no sense to me. A stranger's happiness doesn't make me happy, their sadness doesn't make me sad. So why would I care?

Or, if your question was simply directed at my final sentence, because it seems unreasonable and illogical to me. Why would I trust someone whom I am fundamentally unable to understand?

Edit: Heck! I would go so far as to add that it almost seems dishonest to me. At the other end selfishness isn't a particularly endearing quality, but at least it's straightforward.