We are born free!

[ReturnofBroccoli]

Believing that you have no real choice produces apathy.

Its what psychologists call "learned helplessness."

When people think outcomes are fixed, they stop trying.

And that narrows their thinking and makes behavior more repetitive and predictable. 

But it doesn’t actually eliminate alternative possibilities.

It just means people refuse to engage in them.

It's one of the reasons people have to believe they are free even if that is not the case...

Many things produce apathy that have nothing to do with choice. Anything that causes an emotional disassociation. Very common in PTSD. Take people with the 1000 yard stare for instance, they don't even know when they're gone. Its like an overlay that projects onto the real world. You could be right in front of them and they don't hear you or see you. Apathy tends to be a side effect of that I believe. There's probably hundreds of other disorders that cause the same response too I imagine.

The world's a fucked up place. It feels good to see messages of hope.

[andy06shake]

Many things produce apathy that have nothing to do with choice. Anything that causes an emotional disassociation. Very common in PTSD. Take people with the 1000 yard stare for instance, they don't even know when they're gone. Its like an overlay that projects onto the real world. You could be right in front of them and they don't hear you or see you. Apathy tends to be a side effect of that I believe. There's probably hundreds of other disorders that cause the same response too I imagine.

The world's a fucked up place. It feels good to see messages of hope.

Yes, the world is indeed a fu#ked up place, i suffer from PTSD myself.

And apathy can indeed stem from emotional disassociation linked to trauma. 

People choose to disconnect from their surroundings without even realising it.

It's a defense mechanism, apparently.

And i agree, in this chaotic world.

Messages of hope sometimes offer relief...

[quintessentone]

Believing that you have no real choice produces apathy.

Its what psychologists call "learned helplessness."

When people think outcomes are fixed, they stop trying.

And that narrows their thinking and makes behavior more repetitive and predictable. 

But it doesn’t actually eliminate alternative possibilities.

It just means people refuse to engage in them.

It's one of the reasons people have to believe they are free even if that is not the case...

If one lives within a 'social body' then actual alternative possibilities or one's autonomy may not truly exist within that specific space where one has to follow the collective rules and/or laws, such as this forum as an example.

We are not free to act or behave as we choose as we all must follow the T&C, as a collective moderation and assumed or accepted fairness tool. 

I think social apathy is more along the lines of the realization of one's powerlessness over one's elected governments' questionable actions after the voting and government officials' lack of accountability, but what does one expect when one wants to be a part of and enjoy what (little crumbs) a government run society has to offer?

Can that also be thought of as 'learned helplessness' 'cognitive dissonance' 'compassion fatigue' ... yes, of course, which indicators may show to be low voting numbers and/or online activism without offline action.

When people get up and rise up to protest or petition for change then, to me, that there is personal freedom in action, even though that niggling doubt that the system is rigged/fixed is still there.

Activism may be the cure for some people with less severe dark emotions.

"Activism is often described as a "cure" for situational depression, eco-anxiety, eco-grief, and the psychic damage resulting from trauma or feelings of powerlessness.  Research indicates that volunteering and collective action can lower depression, reduce chronic pain, and increase life satisfaction by fostering social integration, a sense of purpose, and the release of dopamine. " (LLM)

[Oldcarpy2]

"Born free, till somebody caught me".

- Norman Stanley Fletcher

[andy06shake]

"Born free, till somebody caught me".

- Norman Stanley Fletcher

"With these eggs I'm smuggling in, I can get a quarter ounce of shag, two tubes of toothpaste, or three bars of Fruit 'n' Nut." 

[andy06shake]

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction." Ronald Reagan

[chr0naut]

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction." Ronald Reagan

Nah, it's been turned-over way faster than that several times.

[andy06shake]

Nah, it's been turned-over way faster than that several times.

Just a quote mate.

But i think what Ronnie was trying to suggest.

Is that freedom isn't automatic or permanent.

It has to be actively protected and passed on from one generation to the next.

[chr0naut]

Just a quote mate.

But i think what Ronnie was trying to suggest.

Is that freedom isn't automatic or permanent.

It has to be actively protected and passed on from one generation to the next.

They give it away again and a gain for just a little "panem et circenses".

[andy06shake]

They give it away again and a gain for just a little "panem et circenses".

True freedom never existed to begin with.

Anywhere but in their own head.

But again, it's a concept most people cannot live without.

"are you not entertained?"