“A Grade ‘A’ Savage”: 50 People Said ‘I Don’t Care’ Louder Than Words Ever Could

There is an actual thing called “Don’t Give a Damn Syndrome.” Mental health consultant Louise Cady first introduced it in a 1973 journal, describing the apathetic approach people had towards their work at the time and how it needed to change. 

“What industry needs to do is redesign the worker. Change the worker’s ‘don’t care’ attitude toward work and toward life, toward all his activities and relationships,” an excerpt from Cady’s piece read.

For some experts, however, apathy can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can be perceived as a lack of motivation and passion, which can be contagious. But as psychology professor Krystine Bacho, PhD, pointed out, it can also help keep us focused on things that matter. 

“Indifference to things that distract us from what really matters may help preserve our ability to empathize with the suffering of others,” Bacho wrote in an article for Psychology Today. 

Bacho did clarify that there is a stark difference between healthy and unhealthy apathy. She stated that having a level of indifference can be beneficial if it protects a person from being emotionally drained by toxic matters and people. 

Another indicator is whether apathy is a way of freeing oneself from unhealthy anxieties and embracing happiness, much like how people choose to be indifferent towards the negativity in life that is beyond their control.

Given the tumultuous state of certain parts of the world, many people have experienced compassion fatigue. It’s the feeling of exhaustion you get after prolonged exposure to the suffering of other people, much like when consuming 24-hour news cycles. 

According to leadership and communications coach Jason W Birkevold Liem, having a mindset of healthy indifference not only buffers the effects of compassion fatigue, but it also curbs mental imbalance, increased stress, and anxiety.

Liem admits that adopting an indifferent approach to life may be controversial, but reiterated that it is far different from having a lack of empathy. He believes it is more about maintaining a “sense of balance and distance.” 

“By cultivating a sense of mental detachment, we help ourselves and improve our ability to help others,” he wrote.