Apathy

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I realized recently that the one pervading force throughout my life as I've grown up is apathy. Instead of being driven by emotion or logic, I allow my body to dictate my priorities. It leads to me being largely impulsive, and highly unproductive. Mainly, I'm wondering if this is more of an AS thing, or a depression thing (thought it could very likely be both).

What do you guys think?

Could you elaborate or clarify?

I basically just follow my instincts. If I'm feeling too tired to go to school, I don't. If I crave food, I eat. If I don't feel like sleeping, I stay up all night. Things like that.

How do you link this to apathy?

Hm, good point. Both instincts and emotions stem from chemical/electrical interactions in the brain. I suppose it's more likely that I'm simply not aware of my emotions...

I'm guessing that's not uncommon. If following your instincts is leading to problems in daily functioning, then I would look at depression a little deeper.

l think a degree of apathy is good. Empathy is so misunderstood.

ln some ways, all empathy can really do is chain a person to a way of being or a set of ideas by allowing that person to "feel" one with their surroundings. lt doesn't mean they won't develop hate or resentment against their group or the world and turn on those people. An empathetic person can lack sympathy.

l would say l am often apathetic and it serves the purpose of giving e a wide perspective and taking in as much information as possible. After l've done that and found some causes l actually identify with, l feel and apply empathy to them.

Apathy is as valid an outlook as any other. Like you said, instincts and emotions come from chemicals and electricity. We are derived from a very long chain of impossibly tiny and innumerable interactions like that, from the beginning of time.

To me, though, that makes life seem like something a bit more interesting than it can feel at times. It's pretty astounding to think that we all rose from an explosion of molten dust and elemental particles, somehow, to be able to be here, discussing that fact with people thousands of miles away.

Nothing matters, but here you are, wondering about meaning, so that's gotta count for something.