What is indifference?

What Does indifference Mean

Indifference , from Latin indifferentĭa , is the state of mind in which a person does not feel inclination or rejection towards another subject, an object or a certain matter . It can be a feeling or a position towards someone or something that is characterized by being positive or negative.

For example: "I do not hate football, it just makes me indifferent" , "Some things make me angry but this, the truth, does not produce more than indifference" , "The indifference of a large part of society to the pain of others is disgusting ” .
Indifference, therefore, is a middle ground between appreciation and contempt . If someone is appreciative, that feeling will be pleasant and active; On the other hand, if you feel contempt, it will turn into something you want to reject. By being indifferent, the subject becomes apathetic about it.

Regarding certain issues, indifference is seen as a psychological or social problem . There are cases in which the indifferent person can be accused of being insensitive or cold, as if he had anesthetized emotions or feelings.
If a man walks down the street, comes across an injured child, and instead of stopping, he goes on his way indifferent, he will most likely be socially condemned. As part of the human community, people are expected to have empathy and be able to show solidarity when someone requires help.
However, it is important to know that, on many occasions, indifference is not synonymous with coldness but simply with special sensitivity. It may seem like a contradiction but it is not. And it is that many very sensitive and fragile people choose to use indifference as a shield to protect themselves and avoid being hurt.
Specifically, experts in human psychology study this issue in depth and reach the following conclusions:

• Indifference is used by individuals with a strong and marked self-defense character who find in it the perfect lead to avoid being belittled, ignored , injured or questioned.

• In these cases, what occurs is that the person in question isolates himself from the rest and hinders his social relationships.

• It is also used by people who are very afraid of pain and suffering as well as who have a need for affection but hide it so as not to be disappointed and to avoid that, by opening their hearts, they can be hurt by rejection, lies or infidelity.

• It is especially interesting to note that among the many people who use indifference as a shield there is a high percentage of adolescents. And they consider that it helps them to become stronger in their relationships with others and even with their relatives.
In this sense, for some philosophers, indifference is the denial of Being since it supposes the absence of beliefs and motivations. Who is indifferent does not feel or act, staying on the sidelines.
To all this should be added the existence of a significant number of publications that revolve around indifference. This would be the case, for example, of "The indifference of an instant", by PP Zaga.