“I don’t care”

“I don’t care” is a confusing thing to say in our culture today. Perhaps, misunderstood. What we probably mean to say is “I don’t have the capacity to do much about this.”

It’s impossible to fix all the wrongs in the world. When you study history, one thing that repeats over and over again is injustice. There is lots of injustice in our world.

I’m not so sure this is even the right approach. What I see today is a recipe for burnout. Fueled by the algorithm to enrage each of us. To click like and subscribe. Share and thumbs up. All to keep us on the hook. A warped piece of entertainment. Sex and violence has always sold.

To clarify, when we witness injustice, we can begin to develop empathy. But empathy is an action word. When we actually do something about it. Otherwise, we are being sympathetic. Nothing wrong with sitting on the sidelines and cheering others on who are doing the work to fix a problem.

For example, nonprofit leaders work to alleviate the suffering of someone experiencing homelessness. Impossible, however, to also fight climate change too. And eliminating the debt of third world nations while building wells for clean water. You get to focus on one thing when you’re a nonprofit.

And the choice is the same for us: we get to do care about many things. Not everything. Not everyone. You probably can do something about a couple of those things after that. But it doesn’t mean you don’t have a heart just because you didn’t act on one of the things you care about.

Perhaps a better approach is to not scream after every injustice but to actually do something if you’re feeling that passionate about it. And I’m talking more than hitting a share button. Pick up the phone and call a senator. Write an email explaining your concerns. Vote. Submit public comments during opportunities. Stay informed during legislative sessions. Understand the local news. Speak to someone. Not anonymously. Donate your time and money. Start a nonprofit. Join a club. Serve.

The world has always been broken. And humans struggle to get out of their own way. But it is possible to live a full life despite the challenges we face. We can do both. And I think we need to give ourselves permission to do so too.