Indifference is the opposite of love

In barrios, favelas, ghettos, shanty towns, people live hard lives.

Which is not to say that suffering is exclusive to the poor, suffering is no respecter of persons, suffering may happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. None of us are immune.

I guess one may ask if suffering happens to some more than others, and if so, why?

One may possibly suggest that ultimately we are all responsible for our own lives, so if we suffer more than some, we deserve/own it, and if one suffers less than some, we deserve/own it as well.

I personally do not adhere to that way of thinking, I personally do not think we necessarily get what we deserve.

My view is that no one deserves to suffer, suffering is a consequence to a set of circumstances which a person may have had a hand in or not. Is not one of many amazing aspects of a human her ability to rise above, to regroup, to learn, to find courage in the midst of experiencing unmentionable suffering, her own as well as others?

But what will happen if we become indifferent?

What happens to a society in which its citizens no longer has the time or inclination for compassion, understanding or empathy?

If we get what we deserve, then what about natural disasters, genetic mishaps, accidents, unforeseen incidents, etc.?

Does it really matter who or what instigated the suffering, would it not be more productive perhaps to concern ourselves with what can be done to help alleviate it?

A child has nothing to do with who his/her parents are or into what set of circumstances he/she is born into;

 we were all born(or adopted) into our circumstances; we did not choose them, neither did we choose our genetic makeup.

Are we becoming desensitised, indifferent to others suffering in pursuit of our own peace of mind?

Some suggest that with this age of technology and information, we are at risk of becoming desensitised to the plight of others less fortunate since we have it displayed on screen 24/7. We watch "live to air" as bombs fall, bullets being fired, buildings burning, people frantically searching for cover to save their lives, walls of water destroying villages, hurricanes and tornadoes ripping up everything in their way, fires devastating land, creature and property, earthquakes disintegrating whole cities, and much more. We also entertain ourselves by pretending all matters of devastating scenarios with games so graphically elaborate that it seems "real". All at arms length, until it happens to us.

After an experience of having our car stolen, our houses burgled, a close encounter in a mugging, getting caught in a brawl we had nothing to do with, having our pin number hacked, being run off the road due to a car chase, etc. etc. indifference is no longer an option, we become involved emotionally.

On the way home from a late night gig(music) I was almost run off the road by a car travelling at a very high speed.

A few kilometres later I saw the driver of the car loose control, flipping the car across the highway and then jack knife around a tree. Seconds later it exploded and started to burn. Weak at the knees I drove to the nearby gas station, ran into the building shouting "Help, help, there's been a terrible car accident, call the ambulance, fire brigade and police!!".

By the time the ambulance arrived the 17 year old passenger was dead, but the very, very drunk driver, unscathed.

When the police was taking my statement, I was told that I would be required to give an eye-witness account in court.

Waiting to be called to appear in court prolonged the memory, the image, of what I had seen and for months it was the last thing I "saw" before I fell asleep at night.

Since I had never witnessed anything like this before, ........ it took me a long time to process.

The event led me to ponder:

What happens to people who witness traumatic events/situations on a daily basis? What happens to a person emotionally who has to deal with horrific scenes regularly? What happens to a child in such circumstances?

What happens to a person emotionally who plays games on a daily basis which involves violence and death?

What happens to people emotionally who live lives under a constant threat of death, starvation, eviction, deadly diseases, poverty?

What happens to people emotionally who don't?

What happens to a human's sense of compassion if we can choose away all the "bad" stuff?

"I know there is a lot of suffering, but what can I do?" "There's always going to be people suffering."

"All that is necessary for evil to succeed, is for good people to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Is there an "emoticon" for compassion?

Have we reduced the complexity of emotions to a mere circle with a few lines?

Perhaps we prefer indifference rather than love and compassion, it is certainly more "time-effective".

On the other hand, how do we feel about others being indifferent to our needs and desires?

Regardless of our nationality, tribe, gender, social ranking, material possessions, political or philosophical views, we are all humans and we all desire to be loved, to love, to be included, to belong, to be cared for and to care for.

If you want to be treated with respect, chances are that so do others. If you want to be loved and to love, chances are that so do others. If you want to be heard and listened to, chances are that so do others. If you want the opportunity to pursue happiness and contentment, chances are that so do others.

If you deserve a "good life", do not others?

Every new moment offers us the opportunity to show some kindness, compassion and consideration.

This is the moment.

 

“Whenever you feel like criticising any one...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.”   (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

(Leo Buscaglia)