Am I the only one becoming desensitized?

reply to post by Anti-Tyrant


Trust me, I put on a strong face in front of her. Inside though, it kills me.

Originally posted by The Bear Man
I learned to keep a cold heart on the outside, let certain things affect me on the inside

I'm much the same.

I've been called uncaring because of it more times than I can remember, but it's not true, I do care, more so than most probably. It's just that showing emotion on the outside has never been something I make a habit of.

I quit watching TV News many years ago. Why? Because not onyl was it negatively programming me to see only a small negative portion of "the world",
but also, I go crazy if I see suffering without being able to intervene.

Apparently most people can just keep sitting there watching genocide, starvation and disaster without batting an eyelash.

Id label that "zombification of a nation".

reply to post by Skyfloating



Same here. I stopped when I lived close enough to get the LA news. Every night, the first 1/2 of the news was dedicated to murder, rape, robbery, high speed chases...etc. Then on to the weather. Made me sick so I just stopped.

ATS has bummed me out though, because it has brought me back in touch with the news again. Only worse this time because what isn't being reported is usually WORSE than the crap that they are reporting on.

Kosmicjack had a good point though. I think it is more than the news. I think things are getting worse. The death and destruction is certainly worse now than it has been (shy of a world war). It is quickening.

If you haven't had the chance, look into Terrence McKenna's Zero Point theory, or Novelty Theory. It is pretty impressive and applicable.

Originally posted by Karlhungis


ATS has bummed me out though, because it has brought me back in touch with the news again. Only worse this time because what isn't being reported is usually WORSE than the crap that they are reporting on.

Ironic isnt it? We come here to find the truth and instead find an exaggeration of the stuff the mass-media offers up.

In my personal, private opinion much of the "breaking news" forum is only a parroting of mass-media.

Thats why I stick to mellow forums like UFOs, Paranormal, Ancient Civilizations.

Kosmicjack had a good point though. I think it is more than the news. I think things are getting worse. The death and destruction is certainly worse now than it has been (shy of a world war). It is quickening.

Thats the bias you get when you spend too much time looking at all that crap.

I think things have pretty much stayed the overall same in the last few thousand years with plenty of patches of lightness, darkness and greyness around.

If you haven't had the chance, look into Terrence McKenna's Zero Point theory, or Novelty Theory. It is pretty impressive and applicable.

Ive done my homework, I know McKennas zero-point.

[edit on 14-5-2008 by Skyfloating]

Originally posted by Karlhungis

US casualties have surpassed the 4,000 mark. Reports of over 600,000 dead Iraqi's. Reports of 5,000,000 orphans in Iraq.

Those numbers are unrealistic.

600,000 dead Iraqis. Mother and Father dead to produce an orphan equals 300,000 sets of parents.

Divide into 5 million...you end up with 16.67 children per one set of parents.

In that 600,000 supposedly KIA during the 5 year war, there are included children, senior citizens....and people who have died of natural causes...or died at the hands of enemy tribes [Sunni-Shiite-Kurds] seeking revenge.

I must say I'm somewhat desensitized, especially when it comes to victims of natural disasters, because there is not much that can be done to prevent such things, and death is the only certainty in life.

Actually, I think I've given up on feeling sorry for victims of war and starvation, I've recognised the fact that these people are, in most cases, victims of the system, designed to keep elite rich and powerfull, and the poor and common, enslaved.

The main emotion I have nowadays, is rage and anger towards the powers that be, and the foolish people that still follow their word.

I wish I could keep on feeling sorry for every pour soul in the world, but feeling sorry is not going to help them and their children after them.

We need a srtuctural change, and for that, we need millions and millions of enraged civilians who will walk the streets, not crying in their beds.
Otherwise we'll never break the cycle.

We should stop feeling sorry, and get so enraged, that our "masters" would be the ones feeling sorry, sorry they ever tried to rule us.

Originally posted by Karlhungis
Accepting fear wasn't a problem until I had a child. Now I simply have to try to not be overwhelmed with it. I fear for her in the world I brought her into.

thats exactly how i feel.... do i bring my son up sugar coating everything? or do i let him see the world for what it really is?..... hes 8, and has seen images of 9/11..... the china earthquake...the 2005 tsunami, that is upsetting as a mother, but its impossible to hide a child from it, when disaster and corruption is everywhere

I don't where my heart on my sleeve.

I also hate the US media. In one minute they are talking about the number of people dead in the latest natural disaster and in the next minute they are giving you a "to die for" brownie recipe or telling you how to look slimmer in just 5 days. They talk about the death toll in the war and then have the latest person voted off American Idol or Big Brother. The American media is a joke and in my opinion the laughing stock off true journalist everywhere.

Do I feel desensitized? No. I don't like to see people get caught up in natural disasters or war. What I do know is that there isn't much I can do to help. I am not going to fly/boat/drive to their location and aid them. I don't have the money to do it. I could send relief using what extra money I do have but I am sure someone will try to cash in on this suffering and pocket my money (or maybe not). Could I give up everything I have, sling on a backpack and go help, sure, but then I jeopardize my own family's existence. I have to provide for them as well. They rely on me.

I think the world is filled with, beauty, wonder and untold adventure. That same world also contains untold horrors and death. You have to be willing to accept both ends of the spectrum. This isn't candy land we live in.

No. Not the only one desensitized, but there are many factors driving people to develop thick skins.

People born in the US too late to partcipate in Nam grew up in sort of bubble. Violence is virtually indistinguishable from entertainment to some members of the later generations.

My grandparents all had siblings die in one way or another. Kids used to die alot more. People used to have to fight on a fairly regular basis almost as part of their routine.

Thankfully, I haven't had to.

Another desensitizer is an intangible sense of scale. Truly, it is nearly impossible to really grasp the number of people packed onto this rock called earth. What is 200,000 people? What's abillion people? There are about 3 million in Cleveland, Ohio. I have looked from a vantage point on 25,000 people. My home town was about 20,000 people.

How is one to respond to this incomprehensible amount of human sufferring and death? It's really scary.

Would you react the same if someone you know or cared about died?
Probably not.
I think many people are more or less desensitized simply due to the fact that death is part of life. It is inevitable and necessary. Our deaths are important to the balance of the Earth. I know it sounds cruel but we are way too many and draining our resources quickly, maybe it has its part in our "desensitization"

Originally posted by cosmicstorm
thats exactly how i feel.... do i bring my son up sugar coating everything? or do i let him see the world for what it really is?..... hes 8, and has seen images of 9/11..... the china earthquake...the 2005 tsunami, that is upsetting as a mother, but its impossible to hide a child from it, when disaster and corruption is everywhere

The world "as it really is"? Last time I checked 90% of the world was at peace and without natural disaster.

People who have been brainwashed by the media should get out to travel more.

well, it is a cold hard fact that traggic events like this will happen. However, it is sad that a government will not let its people recieve the help that they need. Or, a government that will not acknowledge that it made a major balls up in killing so many people in Iraq and leaving million homeless. It is the way this world is and it is only going to get worse.

Desensitizing - I don't watch the news anymore for that very reason, but I learn all about the latest mega-catastrophe on the "in your face" internet. Human beings have a strange nature; ever watch the traffic crawl past a major traffic accident as gawkers rule? It's just in our nature to watch others suffer while not making any judgment to the situation. So, I plead guilty to even a greater urge - I click on the link to watch the latest raw video footage. After watching the Chinese earthquake video, I was touched by the universal sign of grief and despair - crying. It transcends any language barrier and should actually break down stupid and contrived prejustices
We also celebrate when one of our own survives. Remember little Jessica down in the Texas well in 1987? We watched, prayed and finally cheered as she was finally rescued. In the early hours of 9-11 we also held out hope, but it was too late for so many. The most touching of pictures for me were all the posted photographs on walls and fences of loved ones looking for their relatives. That really hit home for me.
I believe that part of our collective nature as human beings is hoping and perhaps that provides an unseen energy to those in precarious circumstances and actually saves more lives than we will ever know. I should only hope so.

reply to post by Skyfloating


90% of the world is at peace?...... im not talking about wars, im talking about the real world, where governments are corrupt, famine, disease, disasters..... the list is endless...... i have travelled, i lived all over spain for 4 years..... ive shown my son how beautiful nature is, but it is hard to find the balance so that he knows, the earth is not always safe and peaceful.... being a mother its very upsetting to see the way the world is heading.... that may be a negative statment, but its the truth, the world will not be a nice place when my child's generation are adults if things continue as they do....

reply to post by cosmicstorm


Ive been across africa, europe, the U.S., asia...and have yet to witness one single act of murder or corruption.

If, as you say, "the whole world is like that" surely I would have seen some of it

From where I currently sit, birds are whistling outside and children laughing. The same scenery can probably be seen at a billion other places right this moment.

You wont see that in the news though.


No offense though. Its just that Ive read how the world is going down since many decades...but it hasnt gone down yet.

[edit on 14-5-2008 by Skyfloating]

I dont wanna derail this thread with my positive outlook though.

I agree with the OP that we are becoming desensitized to violence through dissociated exposure...meaning exposure on TV/Internet without actually being there.

Well, here's our American media for ya.......

www.cnn.com...#/video/showbiz/2008/05/14/wynter.war.comedies.cnn


I'm sorry but that's *screwd* UP...

Mod Edit: No profanity please

[edit on 5/14/08 by FredT]

reply to post by Karlhungis


Well, i'm really in no position to offer you advice, i mean - i don't have any kids, and although i'm 20 i'm still relatively inexperienced in the various complexities of life, despite whatever hardships i may have been through.

Just remember, No matter how desperate the situation may be, there is always hope.

I realise that might sound a little naive, but i'm afraid it's the truth.

Originally posted by Skyfloating
I dont wanna derail this thread with my positive outlook though.

I had to laugh out loud at that one. Your comment is completly appropriate in the context of the thread, but it's just funny that a positive outlook could derail anything. I think that alone says a lot about the prism we see the world through.

I know that I am desensitized to tragedies around the world. My question is whether I have always been like this since I was old enough to understand, or whether it's increased lately. I really don't know. I know that every time I see anything on tv about this or that disaster I really don't care.

However, I do care immensely about issues that effect certain segments of the population, like the elderly (all over the world) and veterans. I broke down in tears in the D-Day museum and I can never make it through a Memorial Day ceremony without crying.

Now before everyone flames me for only caring about Americans or Canadians or someone I can "relate to", hear me out. I think my apathy has a lot to do with the fact that whenever there is a huge number like "50,000 dead" none of those people has a face or an individuality that we can connect with. Everyone is just one of those 50,000, none of whom have anything to do with us. Of course it's impossible to report on everyone individually, but it would be hard not to care if you learned someone's particular story.

When you see mass numbers of people dying in famines on commercials to get you to donate, I think it has the opposite effect of making you care because it seems an insurmountable challenge to help them. You feel like "Why should I even try because nothing I do is going to help millions of people." At least that's the way I see it.