Atheism

[gord44]

I don't care for most people and they don't care for me. I don't see an issue here? It makes my emotional management much easier.

I agree.

 

[dlamberth]

Oh? So what causes someone to not care for another?

Lack of heart connection.

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[Eyes wide Open]

Oh? So what causes someone to not care for another?

A strong sense of self that is expressed becomes selfishness, and that is why people don't care. Ordinarily a sense of responsibility to care, a parent for a child, or even a soldier ' made responsible' to protect, breaks down that strong sense of self. Or if somebody supplies you with gratification, whether it be sexually or materially you will care for them to some degree, because the self is being served, which in essence is a self serving outlook, or selfishness. We all do it to different degrees, and I think dlamberth is saying that an opening up of the self brings about a heart centered outlook that reduces that strong sense of self to encompass a wider 'care giving' outlook, even incorporating what you once perceived to be your enemy. I don't think its hatred that fuels it, it's just our cognition and how think and act, which is actually a limited state, and so limited care gets applied. Again we are all subject to it.

That said, hatred will fuel a non caring outlook into something else altogether.

 

[LoAmmi]

I would say that I don't actively care about strangers, but I have always been willing to help others in need because it's the right thing to do. I have even done this to people who have wronged me. Among my friends, I'm known as the one who will always go out of my way to help. I can't think of a time where I helped someone and asked for anything in return outside of providing food or something if I'm doing something physical.

A strong sense of self that is expressed becomes selfishness, and that is why people don't care. Ordinarily a sense of responsibility to care, a parent for a child, or even a soldier ' made responsible' to protect, breaks down that strong sense of self. Or if somebody supplies you with gratification, whether it be sexually or materially you will care for them to some degree, because the self is being served, which in essence is a self serving outlook, or selfishness. We all do it to different degrees, and I think dlamberth is saying that an opening up of the self brings about a heart centered outlook that reduces that strong sense of self to encompass a wider 'care giving' outlook, even incorporating what you once perceived to be your enemy. I don't think its hatred that fuels it, it's just our cognition and how think and act, which is actually a limited state, and so limited care gets applied. Again we are all subject to it.

 

[Eyes wide Open]

I would say that I don't actively care about strangers, but I have always been willing to help others in need because it's the right thing to do. I have even done this to people who have wronged me. Among my friends, I'm known as the one who will always go out of my way to help. I can't think of a time where I helped someone and asked for anything in return outside of providing food or something if I'm doing something physical.

I did make a generalised statement which is not meant as individual critique, but as I said re the soldier and the parent having a sense of responsibility, you to have that sense of responsibility with people that come into your world, but that bit was not the self serving component to what I was saying. That said the parent may not care for other people's kids, or the soldier may not care for the person he is killing, and by the same token you may not care for others that don't come into your world. It's not a critique of you, you should be commended, but its an observation of why others take that care to a much wider audience, not as a 'they are better than you' thing, but as an understanding of 'why' they feel compelled to care on a wider level. I'm only speaking from my own experience of both outlooks as I used to be very self centered, but I did have a sense of responsibility (to show I cared) for some, and couldn't of cared less about others, but in the process of my own experiences I can't really deny anybody anymore.

 

[LoAmmi]

I don't understand the difference. I support programs that help the needy and those who cannot support themselves, I believe in things like healthcare for everybody even if it were to harm me personally though increased taxes. I give money to charities. I help beggars on the street.

If you point to a random person and ask me if I care about them, how can I say yes? I know nothing about them. They get the baseline of what every other human being gets; an individual created in the divine image that deserves respect and dignity. I certainly would not harm them if I could help it. How can I care about them beyond that? Make up some story about how they wanted to play pro baseball but fell short in the minors and didn't have a backup plan?

I did make a generalised statement which is not meant as individual critique, but as I said re the soldier and the parent having a sense of responsibility, you to have that sense of responsibility with people that come into your world, but that bit was not the self serving component to what I was saying. That said the parent may not care for other people's kids, or the soldier may not care for the person he is killing, and by the same token you may not care for others that don't come into your world. It's not a critique of you, you should be commended, but its an observation of why others take that care to a much wider audience, not as a 'they are better than you' thing, but as an understanding of 'why' they feel compelled to care on a wider level. I'm only speaking from my own experience of both outlooks as I used to be very self centered, but I did have a sense of responsibility (to show I cared) for some, and couldn't of cared less about others, but in the process of my own experiences I can't really deny anybody anymore.

 

[oi_antz]

Lack of heart connection.

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But what is stopping a person from caring about someone else? It seems to me that there must be some sort of cost involved that doesn't seem to be a worthwhile investment. What do you think?

 

[oi_antz]

I would say that I don't actively care about strangers, but I have always been willing to help others in need because it's the right thing to do.

What makes you feel that it is the right thing to do? Do you fear God's judgement if you don't help someone who needs it, or do you think that person who needs help will be better off if you do help?

 

[LoAmmi]

What makes you feel that it is the right thing to do? Do you fear God's judgement if you don't help someone who needs it, or do you think that person who needs help will be better off if you do help?

I have never taken any course of action due to fearing judgement. I help people in need for a few reasons.

• Were I in that position, I would be hoping someone would help me.
• Human beings deserve dignity and respect. Nobody should be left abandoned.
• The person you help could turn out to be important in the future and do something great for all of the world. Helping them could be what allows that to happen.

 

[oi_antz]

I agree.

Me too. But if someone is starving and I am too emotional to care about helping, then I must hate them. Or at least, they are bearing the brunt of my anger, which I don't know is much different.

 

[oi_antz]

I have never taken any course of action due to fearing judgement. I help people in need for a few reasons.

• Were I in that position, I would be hoping someone would help me.
• Human beings deserve dignity and respect. Nobody should be left abandoned.
• The person you help could turn out to be important in the future and do something great for all of the world. Helping them could be what allows that to happen.

These reasons all indicate that you do care.

 

[LoAmmi]

These reasons all indicate that you do care.

Perhaps. I'm weird in many ways and don't tie emotion into these things. I do because it is the logical thing to do.

 

[dlamberth]

Perhaps. I'm weird in many ways and don't tie emotion into these things. I do because it is the logical thing to do.

Sorry, I don't see you that cold. Caring doesn't require emotion to be caring. And I bet there's more going on inward within you than logic.

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[LoAmmi]

Sorry, I don't see you that cold. Caring doesn't require emotion to be caring. And I bet there's more going on inward within you than logic.

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I said I don't tie emotion into these things, not that I don't have emotions. I just don't like to use emotions to make a decision. One often makes a bad decision when they bring emotion into it too much.

 

[Eyes wide Open]

I don't understand the difference. I support programs that help the needy and those who cannot support themselves, I believe in things like healthcare for everybody even if it were to harm me personally though increased taxes. I give money to charities. I help beggars on the street.

If you point to a random person and ask me if I care about them, how can I say yes? I know nothing about them. They get the baseline of what every other human being gets; an individual created in the divine image that deserves respect and dignity. I certainly would not harm them if I could help it. How can I care about them beyond that? Make up some story about how they wanted to play pro baseball but fell short in the minors and didn't have a backup plan?

You are the one making the statement that you don't care, then you go on to describe that in actual fact you do, (the bolded part) which is contradictory. I can't add any more than that, other than saying you do care. I know you didn't say 'yes' I care, you said, they get the baseline of what every other human being gets, an individual created in the divine image that deserves respect and dignity, that is a 'yes' you care. Also you state that they are created in the divine image, I would say that is knowing something about them. I believe all life on the planet is created in the divine image and needs respect and dignity, which would be perhaps a wider audience, and one in which I struggle to care about at times.

 

[oi_antz]

You are the one making the statement that you don't care, then you go on to describe that in actual fact you do, (the bolded part) which is contradictory. I can't add any more than that, other than saying you do care. I know you didn't say 'yes' I care, you said, they get the baseline of what every other human being gets, an individual created in the divine image that deserves respect and dignity, that is a 'yes' you care. Also you state that they are created in the divine image, I would say that is knowing something about them. I believe all life on the planet is created in the divine image and needs respect and dignity, which would be perhaps a wider audience, and one in which I struggle to care about at times.

I am wondering if this whole "I don't care for" phrase is actually a way to say " I do not find them emotionally or sexually gratifying". Which is different from caring about someone.

 

[LoAmmi]

I am wondering if this whole "I don't care for" phrase is actually a way to say " I do not find them emotionally or sexually gratifying". Which is different from caring about someone.

Not from me. I mean it in I don't care about the details of their life or other such things. I don't typically want to know. I have my friends and the people I care about and those people I care about the details, but random people aren't those people. I am highly annoyed when people I don't know try to talk to me or approach me. I just don't like it.

 

[oi_antz]

Not from me. I mean it in I don't care about the details of their life or other such things. I don't typically want to know. I have my friends and the people I care about and those people I care about the details, but random people aren't those people. I am highly annoyed when people I don't know try to talk to me or approach me. I just don't like it.

Sure, but when they need someone to care about them, you aren't just against it. So you do care about strangers, as you said, as though you would require someone to care if you were in their situation.

 

[LoAmmi]

Sure, but when they need someone to care about them, you aren't just against it. So you do care about strangers, as you said, as though you would require someone to care if you were in their situation.

Interesting. Maybe it would be more correct to say that I don't like people, but I do care enough to help.

 

[bhsmte]

Maybe the term "care for" has a cultural meaning to you that it doesn't have for me. What makes you not care for this person when they need someone to care for them?

When I say, "I don't care for someone" it means I do not like their personality, their disposition and I probably don't have much trust for them either.

Does it mean I hate them, no, not in the least. Hate is a strong emotion, which goes well beyond, simply not liking or caring for a particular person