Apathy is Worse Than Hate

[Bohemianne]

Do you agree or not? Please discuss. Thank you.

 

[Artoo]

I think apathy can cause more problems than hate, considering everyone can see hate for what it is.

 

[storm7400]

I agree whole heartedly. Hate is an emotion that can consume one and ultimately lead to one's own end, but it can not be denied how powerful that emotion can carry and the effects it can bring. On the other hand apathy is one to just bring down the individual to the depths of a low not known imaginable. Apathy is the worst of the self destructive emotions and is the toughest to conquer if its even possible.

 

[Marquis De Sade]

100% agree.

If Apathy squared off against Hate, Apathy has no reason for anything and wouldn't be trying to prove something or make its point known and couldn't care less if it lived or died, therefore having nothing to lose and making it much, much more dangerous. It would stomp Hate out and eat a sandwich.

 

[Saeria]

I honestly think that in alot of ways apathy and hate are tied together when concerning those around you. When you say you hate someone, in turn you become rather apathetic to their wants and needs. You're not likely to lend someone you hate $100 to keep their lights on.

But as separate entities, apathy in the end is more destructive. Hate usually wanes with time, but once apathy concerning something hits, you may find it hard to regain any kind of passion what so ever about that thing.

 

[TheAceOfCakes]

I suppose it depends on the situation.

Hate towards something will likely result in spending energy and effort expressing the feeling and "correcting" the problem. Apathy towards something, naturally, would not - it would just be state of doing nothing about something.

In some cases, this makes apathy the better. Hating another person can lead to a whole spectrum of violent and/or hurtful acts, while apathy towards another person is most likely just a "live and let live" additude, resulting in neither harm nor benefit. And in general, the absence of harm is preferred. Although perhaps I'm confusing apathy with neutrality.

In other cases apathy becomes horrendous. A hatred of injustice can lead to a fight to prevent it: to keep things fair for all, and keep people from being wronged. An apathy towards injustice will allow it to spread, possibly to the point where no one can stop it. In this case, apathy dooms everyone.

As others have said, apathy is sneaky, and much harder to recognize. This makes it more dangerous. Like most philosophical questions, it's a question because there are different ways to look at it, and different confounding variables. But without context, I find it hard to definitively say either one is worse than the other.

 

[tcklft]

In general I'd rather have someone be apathetic towards me than hate me. I figure someone who hates me might be more inclined to do me harm.

 

[Deleted member 66627]

It's a Catch 22 for me.

But, I prefer to be able to express my feelings instead of having none whatsoever.

Reardless of if it's Hate or Love.

I agree, though, with Marquis: If Apathy and Hate locked horns? Apathy would win.

 

[Capnmad]

Question too vague. Shake Magic 8-Ball and ask again.

 

[chicago]

I would think hate is worse. Not only is it a pretty harsh negative emotion, it takes energy to hate someone. I'd rather not waste any energy on someone I didn't like enough to hate.

 

[kurchatovium]

To me Apathy and indifference are worse. People that are truely evil just dont care, dont have any emotion. Hate may not be as positive an emotion as love but at least its an emotion. There is something there that someone is feeling. People who dont feel or care about anything scare me to be honest.

 

[Redmage]

A wise person once told me, "Hatred is not the opposite of love. The opposite of love is indifference." I've found this to be true.

The thing about hatred is that it binds you to its object, just like love does. If you hate something then you still care passionately about what happens to it. You're still involved with it. This is why love so easily turns to hatred, but only rarely changes to true indifference. Apathy (indifference) doesn't carry that sort of attachment.

So it's hard to say whether apathy is actually worse than hatred. In many cases, a lack of attachment to something is healthier than the attachment that comes from hating that thing.

 

[Capnmad]

While it was a very vague and general question, me and the Magic 8-Ball stayed up last night to come to some conclusions:

Hate and apathy have equal potential to do damage to both possessor and target of (respectively) scorn and neglect.

There is not nearly as much true apathy in the world as we assume. What people describe as apathy is usually differently directed passion -- which isn't the same, in my opinion, but in turn gives real apathy a bum rap.

Were there a choice to live on a planet peopled with the absolutely hateful or the absolutely apathetic, it would be preferable to live among the lotus eaters.

Now ask me how I've come to these conclusions.

 

[Sammy Scales]

Apathy is killing my great country... Anger or outrage might help a reversal if its focused correctly...

 

[Nekagiggles]

I personally believe that apathy is worse. Apathy is a trait of sociopaths. They have the inability to feel any sympathy whatsoever. People who hate someone or something can at least feel sympathy towards something.

 

[Capnmad]

Now ask me how I've come to these conclusions.

...you... ...you never asked!!! You apathetic bastards!!! 😛

I figured this was the response I'd get -- the nonresponse -- or maybe someone would come in to say, "No one cares to hear your longwinded tripe!" (representing hate)

Actually, this is a topic on which my next "Reality Check" touches, so I think I'll save my thoughts for then... It'll be a couple of weeks.

 

[Bohemianne]

...you... ...you never asked!!! You apathetic bastards!!! 😛

I figured this was the response I'd get -- the nonresponse -- or maybe someone would come in to say, "No one cares to hear your longwinded tripe!" (representing hate)

Actually, this is a topic on which my next "Reality Check" touches, so I think I'll save my thoughts for then... It'll be a couple of weeks.

^ LOL...I don't want to let apathy afflict my thread, it's just that I'm hurdling with some burning artworks...there! Now tell me about why you would prefer to live with lotus eaters before I cry. 😱

Actually with your kind of stirring wit, I almost regret that I didn't post this at the silly forum...but I was kind of serious. 😀

 

[meangry]

who knows.

 

[Bohemianne]

Thank you for the posts!

who knows.

^ I was. The funny logo in my sig blows up the credibility of my seriousness, I think. 😱

Here is the serious post:

General remarks to the above postings:

I read them all. Thanks a lot for sharing colorful perspectives on the two emotions. When I read them I have seen uniqueness in a deeper manner conveyed in words...maybe some have encountered any of the two or have pondered on different levels.

When things reach the yield point, the afflicted can only rely on clues but can’t read a mind. On the contrary, the apathetic or hateful could have been intensely driven, enough to simply leaving things suspended (apathy), or to executing the act of hate thru violence.

There are people who would explode to express themselves and there are those who hide behind the mask. Apathy is perpetual emotional torment. Hate is a physical/verbal torment. Both are haunting and destructive.

Apathy is worst because it ceases to give closure.

 

[Nekagiggles]

Well said. I couldn't do better if I tried.

 

[Capnmad]

^ LOL...I don't want to let apathy afflict my thread, it's just that I'm hurdling with some burning artworks...there! Now tell me about why you would prefer to live with lotus eaters before I cry. 😱

Actually with your kind of stirring wit, I almost regret that I didn't post this at the silly forum...but I was kind of serious. 😀

Aww... Aren't you sweet? Far be it from me to slow progress on art! Get to drawin'!

Why the apathetic for me? Well, really, because of the whole misperception of apathy... Let me try to do this succinctly and rephrase my "differently directed passion" with the more familiar "lack of empathy". That's what we're really talking about when we mistakenly say "apathy". Sociopaths aren't apathetic -- they lack empathy. "Apathy" and "lack of empathy" are distinctly different.

You can't be hateful and apathetic.

But you can be deeply hateful and lack empathy. Sociopaths can be like that.

You can even hate something and talk yourself into believing that you don't care, and then walk around pretending and acting like you don't. ...but it's usually a sham. A lot of people do this because it's easier for them to believe they have a better handle on their emotions than they in fact do. The hate's still there, just covered over. Number of telltale signs for this sort of thing. And then they have a really bad day and the illusion all goes to pot.

People think what they see there is apathy, but it's false apathy. It's just people saying they don't care and pretending they don't. It usually just covers negative emotions that erupt sooner or later in one way or another.


While it can create problems when encountering a person in need, true apathy also has it's benefits. I work at a job where I've been cursed out, threatened, attacked with shivs, punched, and had food thrown on me. But unlike most staff, for some reason, the bulk of it doesn't bother me. Don't know why. Just my disposition I guess.

My clients curse and issue hollow threats. So what?

Cuts and bruises heal.

And clothes can be washed.

I'm the one who, after you punch me, break my glasses and make me bleed, will calmly immobilize you, and after you've chilled out, talk to you to make sure you're okay. I do that.

The staff I work with have been known to react far more vigorously with these offenses than I typically do -- often, in my opinion, because they lack my detachment, self-control, and full understanding of the shortcomings of our clients. But I've been there nigh nine years and most of them haven't.

It's not that I'm wholly apathetic. But as pertains to these sorts of offenses in that environment, adding one more angry person to the mix benefits no one, so I'm glad I have the disposition I do.

 

[Bohemianne]

It appears you have reached the comfort level of your detached disposition, assuming you have made it a habit not to be agitated easily by offensive acts done to you. Are you talking about..."patients"?

There are two possibilities if I make a guess...you are either a professional or a person who practices relaxation techniques, that your mind is always in a state of calm even in worse situations.

Apathy and hate are strong emotions that only affect vulnerable people whose inner feelings are soaked in hot water.

Aww... Aren't you sweet? Far be it from me to slow progress on art! Get to drawin'!

Why the apathetic for me? Well, really, because of the whole misperception of apathy... Let me try to do this succinctly and rephrase my "differently directed passion" with the more familiar "lack of empathy". That's what we're really talking about when we mistakenly say "apathy". Sociopaths aren't apathetic -- they lack empathy. "Apathy" and "lack of empathy" are distinctly different.

You can't be hateful and apathetic.

But you can be deeply hateful and lack empathy. Sociopaths can be like that.

You can even hate something and talk yourself into believing that you don't care, and then walk around pretending and acting like you don't. ...but it's usually a sham. A lot of people do this because it's easier for them to believe they have a better handle on their emotions than they in fact do. The hate's still there, just covered over. Number of telltale signs for this sort of thing. And then they have a really bad day and the illusion all goes to pot.

People think what they see there is apathy, but it's false apathy. It's just people saying they don't care and pretending they don't. It usually just covers negative emotions that erupt sooner or later in one way or another.


While it can create problems when encountering a person in need, true apathy also has it's benefits. I work at a job where I've been cursed out, threatened, attacked with shivs, punched, and had food thrown on me. But unlike most staff, for some reason, the bulk of it doesn't bother me. Don't know why. Just my disposition I guess.

My clients curse and issue hollow threats. So what?

Cuts and bruises heal.

And clothes can be washed.

I'm the one who, after you punch me, break my glasses and make me bleed, will calmly immobilize you, and after you've chilled out, talk to you to make sure you're okay. I do that.

The staff I work with have been known to react far more vigorously with these offenses than I typically do -- often, in my opinion, because they lack my detachment, self-control, and full understanding of the shortcomings of our clients. But I've been there nigh nine years and most of them haven't.

It's not that I'm wholly apathetic. But as pertains to these sorts of offenses in that environment, adding one more angry person to the mix benefits no one, so I'm glad I have the disposition I do.

 

[Capnmad]

It appears you have reached the comfort level of your detached disposition, assuming you have made it a habit not to be agitated easily by offensive acts done to you. Are you talking about..."patients"?

There are two possibilities if I make a guess...you are either a professional or a person who practices relaxation techniques, that your mind is always in a state of calm even in worse situations.

"Clients", I guess. I'm a counselor at a residential treatment facility for troubled youth. I don't know if a person of my rank can be called "professional" but I've done what I'm doing for closing in on 9 years -- so, close enough. I use relaxation techniques and I'm not always calm, but am so in the face of most crises.

Apathy and hate are strong emotions that only affect vulnerable people whose inner feelings are soaked in hot water.

Agree with everything except assertion of apathy as a strong emotion. It's definition would seem to be the very lack of emotion; indifference.

 

[Bohemianne]

"Clients", I guess. I'm a counselor at a residential treatment facility for troubled youth. I don't know if a person of my rank can be called "professional" but I've done what I'm doing for closing in on 9 years -- so, close enough. I use relaxation techniques and I'm not always calm, but am so in the face of most crises.
========================
Agree with everything except assertion of apathy as a strong emotion. It's definition would seem to be the very lack of emotion; indifference.

^ I see. In your case dealing with vulnerable clients, there is no way you can hurt them, but rather, you help them. Being detached for you is necessary . It all depends on the "motive" or inner feelings after all. Okay, it's my error--apathy as strong emotion--why had I had forgotten it's lack of emotion (or lack of courtesy, thereof)?.

Whew! I am beginning to see the complexity if people will relate each unique experiences. Mayhem.

 

[the wiz]

To me Apathy accord when you hates something sooooooooo much your hatred turns cold and you no longer care what happens to that person or item you once had passion for.

I been in apathy of my job for the last 2 years; and I’m a much better person because of it.