Apathy
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Stoic philosophy, condition of being totally free from
the pathe, which roughly are the emotions and
passions, notably pain, fear, desire, and pleasure. Although
remote origins of the doctrine can probably be found in
the Cynics (second half of the 4th century BC), it was
Zeno of Citium (4th–3rd century BC) who explicitly
taught that the pathe were to be extirpated entirely.
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"Apathyrefers to a cluster of symptoms reflecting lack of motivation manifested in motoric, emotional, and cognitive domains. The construct, according to Marin, entails simultaneous diminution in the overt behavioral, cognitive and emotional concomitants of goal directed behavior." |
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Apathy early 17th cent.: from French apathie,
via Latin from Greek apatheia, from apathēs without feeling,
from a- without + pathos suffering. The word apathy derives
from the Greek word pathos or passions. Apathy is defined
as lack of motivation relative to the individual’s previous
level of functioning, and is manifested by diminished goal directed
cognition and behaviour. Apathy is defined as diminished motivation
not attributable to decreased level of consciousness, cognitive
impairment, or emotional distress. The apathy subscale includes
items such as showing
- Loss of interest,
- Lacking motivation,
- Less spontaneous,
- Less affectionate,
- Less enthusiastic,
- Lacking in emotions,
- Not caring about doing new things.
Apathyrefers to a cluster of symptoms reflecting
lack of motivation manifested in motoric, emotional, and cognitive
domains. The construct, according to Marin, entails “simultaneous
diminution in the overt behavioral, cognitive and emotional
concomitants of goal directed behavior”; these are conceptualized
as components, not subtypes.
- Motoric Apathy
is characterized by the tendency not to initiate a new motor
activity unless externally prompted.
- Cognitive Apathy
is defined as indifference; a generalized loss of interest,
decrease in goal-directed thought content (e.g., “I
have no plans”), and diminished motivation associated
with executive functions, and sometimes decreased verbal
fluency.
- Emotional Apathy
is defined as diminished intensity or persistence of emotion,
or placidity, relative to the importance of some goal-directed
thought or event.
Depression
Depression involves considerable emotional distress, evidenced
by tearfulness, sadness, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, anorexia,
feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, and recurrent thoughts
of death. The depression subscale includes items such as
- Sad,
- Depressed,
- Tearful,
- In low spirits,
- Feeling like a failure,
- Hopeless about the future,
- Feeling like a burden,
- Wishing for death.
Other Dimensions
Participation is the key; it’s patriotic to pay attention
to how things are going in the country, to seek out good information,
to vote, to insist on clean elections, to campaign for issues,
to run for office, to raise one's voice.
Loyalty to democracy, freedom, rule of law, and inclusion should
make us extra vigilant toward apathy.
Although the general tranquility on college campuses was interpreted
by some as a sign of apathy, others saw in it merely a serious
effort on the part of students to adjust to conditions in the
society at large. Competition for grades, for example, tended
to replace the search for a flexible approach to learning. At
the same time, the questions raised by political scandals in
the country turned many students toward an examination of ethical
values, and interest rose in a variety of religious movements.The
turbulence which recently characterized college campuses has
given way to peace and, in the view of many observers, to a
substantial measure of student apathy, at least about political
issues. This change appears to have several causes, including
disenchantment with the violent tactics of some radical leaders;
increased concern, as jobs became harder to come by, with entering
the job market with a good record of academic accomplishment;
and reduced feelings of powerlessness and frustration as a result
of the lowering of the voting age and the phasing out of the
draft.
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