What is going on with me?

Hudson 4 ever

I think I have lost the ability to empathise with other people and I don’t know why. I started in college last year and since the beginning of 5th year in school I have noticed this. In school I was heavily involved in charitable organisations and social justice in general but I have completely lost any desire to help anyone. I don’t even feel sorry for my friends when things go wrong for them. Has anyone else experienced this or something similar? I am just wondering if it is a phase or has something really changed in me.

RedXIV

Do you think you could empathise with ANYTHING? Is there nothing that could tug on the heartstrings at all? i know people get tougher through school but this is a bit odd. Have you been badly hurt or betrayed recently to introduce this new stoic you? Do you think you've "lost" these emotions or are you simply burying them. the latter may cause trouble in the long run

Rev Hellfire

I think you've nothing to worry about, you're just toughening up.
Ultimately you're on your own in this life and if you've realised that at this early stage more power to you.

LaVidaLoca

and bought the T-Shirt.

Had a period of pretty intense depression, where I could not see the point of people being nice to each other, began to strip life down to it's essentials of power, self-interest, and pitiless survivalism.

It was just depression, it is not, as Rev Hellfire suggests, a good thing.

As you grow older you may lose some of your youthful idealism. This is natural and good. However cultivating a world-weary "Im alright Jack"-style pose will not make you feel any better.

As we age we lose the stupider aspects of our idealism, the beleif that "if only people all held hands we could save the world, man." That's alright. But dont replace it with: "Everybody's ****ed, I'm off to Woodies to spend 3 grand on a patio set."

Hudson 4 ever

No, don't misunderstand me, I am happier now than I have ever been. I am doing well in college, sport and art. I just feel no desire to do anything for somebody other than myself. I feel no pity or sadness for anybody. I have tried to look deeper into religion for answers, but that isn't really doing anything. I am only getting more and more detached. For example, my dog got knocked down recently and everyone else was crying, I just stood there wondering why I was doing the same.

Caoimhín

Thats not healthy man. Maybe speak to doctor about this?

RedXIV

Hudson 4 ever wrote: »

No, don't misunderstand me, I am happier now than I have ever been. I am doing well in college, sport and art. I just feel no desire to do anything for somebody other than myself. I feel no pity or sadness for anybody. I have tried to look deeper into religion for answers, but that isn't really doing anything. I am only getting more and more detached. For example, my dog got knocked down recently and everyone else was crying, I just stood there wondering why I was doing the same.

Ummm if your happy man, i wouldn't worry about it. Death for example doesn't particularly bum me either. like my grandad died a few years ago and yeah i miss the guy but i never got upset over the death part. I suppose it might be something else if you are approached by a friend who is upset and you can't comfort her but thats not the issue is it?

Abi

I read in a thread somewhere in AH that the OP is a re-reg troll.

Previous posts.

chuci

if you didnt feel bad about the dog maybe you werent as attached to it as everyone else in the family. why not try to go back out doing some charity work see if it makes you feel any better? if not maybe go see a doc about how you are feeling?

Abigayle your link doesnt work

wylo

Hudson 4 ever wrote: »

I think I have lost the ability to empathise with other people and I don’t know why. I started in college last year and since the beginning of 5th year in school I have noticed this. In school I was heavily involved in charitable organisations and social justice in general but I have completely lost any desire to help anyone. I don’t even feel sorry for my friends when things go wrong for them. Has anyone else experienced this or something similar? I am just wondering if it is a phase or has something really changed in me.

Well I dont know if this is re reg troll or not but funny enough I have noticed this about myself recently also. I think I know why though, I used put alot of my time into other people, if not physically at least mentally. I used worry for people, i used do a bit for charity, and I used to be alot more idealistic and I defintely had more of a tendency to suit the other person rather than suit myself

But over time I noticed that everyone around me seemed to not care and seemed to look after number 1. As time went on more and more people seemed to disapoint me in their actions(without me even realising what was going on in my head) until I eventually reached the point of not caring.
This is great,
A: im much happier in myself and look after myself before other people whenever its reasonable to do so.
B: I dont expect too much from people anymore, this isnt a sad bitterness ,its actually quite a good feeling, and it has allowed to like people for who they are even they tend to do things that might annoy me or seem unloyal or something.

I say enjoy the feeling, just dont become a selfish pr1ck

Bottle_of_Smoke

I'd say its likely that when you were in charitable organisations you just thought it would make you look good to others. Now you've unconsciously realised nice guys finish last & aren't bothered about impressing the same type of people