Introspection & Apathy

[Cognisant]

I think introspection leads to apathy, it may even be a form of neurosis, I can't remember it right now but there's a saying about not staring into a mirror too long because the reflection is a lie and will drive you mad. Truly your reflection is not what you look like, it's reversed, hence the trick of writing cursive in a reflection to make it illegible to the casual observer, anyway the mind's eye likewise can't view itself so if you're thinking about yourself you're merely thinking about who you perceive yourself to be, and in the mind perceptions are incredibly malleable.

So what is there to be gained from introspection if it's inherently inaccurate?

Furthermore the point of this thread, when you stop to consider who you are and what you're doing you detach yourself from it and that detachment reduces your interest, indeed you begin to question what you're doing and why you're doing it, you may even be forcing the drudgery of reality to compete with the right-now satisfaction of the imagination. In it's most extreme form this apathy born of introspection becomes existential fatalism or nihilism as you realise that no matter what it is you're doing ultimately it's all pointless/meaningless anyway, there is no achievement or reward that won't be taken away by death.

People say death motivates everything we do, I quite disagree, I've been planning life extension since I was sixteen, I think I need to believe there's at least a faint possibility that everything I do isn't in vain, that one day all my efforts will amount to something, because without that I don't know how I'd motivate myself to care about anything.

 

[Cognisant]

1. Everyday above ground is a good day.
2. Never get high on your own supply.
3. All you have in this world is your balls and your word. Don't break 'em for nobody.
4. Always remember, this is business.
5. Always tell the truth, even when you lie.
6. Every dog has his day.
7. You're always going to be the "Bad Guy."
8. Never underestimate the other guy's greed.
9. Never forget, the world is yours.
10. Never trust nobody.
-Tony Montana

And have you seen that interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger in which he basically says he doesn't look inwards and he doesn't look back, he focuses just on the road ahead.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Introspection does not necessarily lead to apathy. As you described it, it happens when you detach from yourself to take an objective look inward. I can only see this leading to apathy in the way you described if you fail to come out of that self-detachment. One thing about introspection is that it can be practiced. The longer you look inward, the better you are at it. (Provided you have some external objective feedback to help "calibrate" your introspection.)

 

[crippli]

Not caring is caring about not caring. That's not apathy. Apathy is void. A black hole. Power.

Photography > mirror.

 

[MissQuote]

I have no balls so #3 does not apply as written.

When my ruminations turn finally to apathy, as they have hit a circle or wall that says there is no point to any of it, often I have had the the thought that I might as well off myself, at least it would change things and bring some possible unknown into the mix, the thing that has held me back from the act was the nagging little fact that, despite all evidence, despite all that has been analyzed to pieces until there were nothing left but apathy, I am in fact enjoying this all enough to make it worth hanging around awhile longer. That unknown is inevitable in the end anyhow, no need to speed it up because of my own dabbling in apathy as the choice amusement of the week anyhow.