Indifference, apathy — a state of complete indifference, disinterest.
It happens that after a strong tension associated with stressful situations, a person enters a state of indifference, when he does not want to do anything and all actions to reduce the influence of stress factors seem meaningless.
In a certain sense, such indifference is a defensive reaction of the body. After a strong shock, which is accompanied by the expenditure of psychic energy, inhibition develops in the nervous system, during which the wasted energy is replenished. If this did not happen, people would quickly reach nervous exhaustion, which poses a threat to health and life. But at the same time, the state of indifference cannot be considered favorable, therefore, if it has arisen, it is advisable to get out of it faster.
Harm of indifference
Despite the fact that indifference is not actually a negative emotion, the consequences of such a state are disastrous. Becoming indifferent to himself, a person stops in his development, does not set himself new goals and does not strive to achieve them. And since stagnation cannot be stable, it gradually leads to degradation.
Sometimes emotional emptiness after stress can be “cured” by rest, sometimes you have to take more active measures.
Showing indifference to others, a person becomes callous, loses the ability to empathize. “My hut is on the edge, I don’t know anything,” is the motto of those in whom indifference has finally taken root.
Vigorous activity, working day and night to achieve a certain goal is also stressful. Indifference in this case can nullify all the results.
If indifference is the result of stress caused by troubles in professional activities, it often manifests itself in indifference to what until recently was the meaning of existence. Having experienced a strong shock, a person loses interest in work in general and in the subsequent difficulties in particular. He gives up, loses the desire to fight and look for a solution, and as a result, the problem can really develop into a real crisis. To prevent this from happening, indifference should be eliminated in oneself.
How to deal with indifference
There is a psychological technique that allows you to turn a “must” into a “want” and arouse interest in certain things or activities that have previously caused nothing but boredom. This technique is based on the paradox of reverse influence and, like homeopathy, uses the rule “treat like with like”. See →