Indifference – a lifestyle or a present-day problem?

Recently, social networks have blown up with the news that in the centre of Kiev a child died of starvation. The mother locked two children without food and water for 9 days. Investigation is under way, the police are looking for the perpetrators and witnesses, but all this does not return the child's life. The main culprit in this tragedy, in our opinion, was the indifference of the surrounding people, starting with neighbours and ending with various law enforcement authorities.

For the modern man such a thing as indifference is something ordinary and routine. Most common people tend not to notice many problems that surround them or rather are no concern of theirs. The man eventually has become already indifferent even to "indifference" itself.

In order to understand this concept and assess it in the light of the present world situation and recent events, it is necessary to understand the etymology of the word "egoism". Egoism (from the Latin ego – I) is the values orientation of the subject, characterized by the predominance in their human activity of self-beneficial personal interests and needs (1). That is, people live only for themselves and their needs and everything that happens around them leave them indifferent. We cannot say that all people on earth are selfish. Man is the "image and likeness of God." These features include the immortality of man and the desire to become like the Creator Himself. However, as we know, very often the person in his heart produces such a thing as selfishness and, developing it, acquires traits characteristic to an absolutely indifferent to all personality.

There are 3 types of indifference:

– Indifference to God. This is an atheistic worldview. The man is absolutely sure that he/she is the creator of his/her life and does not depend on anything or anybody. Such a mindset is resulted in a thing as "nihilism". This form of indifference further generates the same attitude to the whole material world (2).

– Indifference towards the people around. Indifference is a small worm, which is able to destroy a large tree. The famous Polish writer Vladislav Gzheschik wrote: "In the end, of all of our interest to friends and relatives the question remains: "And is he still alive?" This statement is quite true because we are really not indifferent to our relatives and friends often only until we are nearby, and after a separation we can even forget about their existence...

A striking example is a prom at high school when everybody promises to remember, to call, and when a student or "adult" life begins, they forget altogether that they used to be schoolmates … (3) Indifference is the reason for most of divorces. People who are indifferent to each other because of selfishness cannot long tolerate another on "their territory". This feature can very easily destroy even a marriage, which, at first glance, has all chances to become happy. It is really too difficult to live day in day out in the company of someone who does not care how your day was, what your mood is, what interesting things have happened at work; who behaves as if he/she does not notice you or does not know about your existence; who is absolutely indifferent to their family responsibilities; who is notices only a TV or a computer at home...

Gerald Brenan said, "The most valuable thing in marriage is that it is possible to be alone without feeling lonely." And vice versa, it is possible to be with a spouse, but feel incredibly lonely. And to break this lethargy, which may extend for years of married life, it is necessary to eliminate the problem at its root: to stop seeing the world only through the prism of their own "ego" and to appreciate that God has given us a man who is ready to sacrifice everything for us, and then just give yourself to this person (4).

– Indifference to one’s job. Today careless and indifferent attitude to one’s duties is, unfortunately, the norm of our society. One thing is if a janitor or a gardener does their job carelessly, and another thing is when doctors, social services, police and alike are indifferent to their duties. We can only imagine what awful consequences such negligent attitude to their work may have.

The world is many-sided, and there are different people who are guided by individual characteristics, view of life and attitude to the environment. Take, for example, the events that the whole world admires: so Emperor Conrad was impresses by the female act of the city Weinsberg (Germany, Baden - Württemberg), which he besieged in 1140. Being very angry for a desperate resistance of the residents, he condemned all the men of the city to death. For Women were allowed to leave the city taking with them what they found most valuable. And then these beautiful women carried on their shoulders their husbands. The Emperor had nothing but to keep his word (5).

One girl, Irena Sandler by name, saved with his friends about 2,500 children from the Warsaw ghetto during the war! Every saved child could have cost her the life (6).

In 2007, Jim Sherman, blind from birth, heard the cries for help of his 85-year-old neighbour when the latter was trapped in a burning house. He found his way, moving along the fence. As soon as he got to the woman's house, he somehow managed to get inside and find his neighbour Annie Smith, who was also blind. Sherman Smith pulled her out of the fire and brought the old woman to safety (7).

In 1976, as Armenian champion in speed swimming was jogging with his brother when the bus with 92 passengers slipped off the road and fell into the water at 24 meters from the shore. Karapetyan dove underwater, knocked out the window with his feet and began to pull out the people who were at that time in the cold water at the depth of 10 m. He saved passengers one by one, spending only 30 seconds per person, until he lost consciousness in the cold and dark water. As a result, 20 people survived (8).

All these people could have behaved in a different way, putting in the first place their lives with problems and worries. But they did right. We can give different examples of opposite terrible actions, but today we remind of the most recent. Lately social networks have blown up with the news that in the centre of Kiev a child died of starvation. The mother locked two children without food and water for 9 days. Investigation is under way, the police are looking for the perpetrators and witnesses, but all this does not return the child's life. The main culprit in this tragedy, in our opinion, was the indifference of the surrounding people, starting with neighbours and ending with various law enforcement authorities.

This case shows the chronology of indifference development, from the relations of other people and negligent attitude of authorized bodies regarding this issue.

It becomes obvious that the problem of indifference is very significant today. For the believer, an Orthodox Christian, an example in the fight against indifference must be the Lord Jesus Christ. He cared for each person who lived, lives and will live in this world. "So God loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John: 3-16). Christ, when living on earth, taught how to treat people, telling a short and simple parable of the "Good Samaritan", which reveals the concept of love as a weapon against indifference, arrogance and selfishness, which at present, unfortunately, prevail in the hearts of people. Such vices lead to terrible and irreversible events, for which in the future one will have to give an answer in the face of the greatest love.

References:

[1] Эгоизм: https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%95%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%97%D0%B7%D0%BC
[2] Католицький оглядач: http://catholicnews.org.ua/poslannya-svyatishogo-otcya-franciska-na-49-vsesvitniy-den-miru-peremozhi...
[3] Микола Витівський. «Байдужість»: http://dds.edu.ua/articles/2/slovo/2008/502-2010-02-03-13-22-15.html
[4] Там же.
[5] Шакир а-Мил Выдающиеся поступки человечества. Режим доступа: http://millit.3dn.ru/publ/vydajushhiesja_postupki_chelovechestva/1-1-0-43
[6] Там же.
[7] 10 подвигов обычных людей. Режим доступа: http://www.qwrt.ru/news/2203
[8] Там же.