I don’t care about Gaza, Palestine, or the people there. I’m not one of those people who denies there’s a genocide — I do believe there is one. I just don’t give a fuck. I truly don’t. I don’t care if Israel bombs all of Gaza and kills kids. I don’t. I don’t give a fuck. Here are my actual thoughts: “Fuck them and fuck those kids.” I don’t give a fuck. They could drop a missile so radioactive it gives kids brain cancer, and I still wouldn’t care. I’m aware this is a hot take, and I have seen pictures of dead kids in Gaza, and I still don’t give a fuck. Here’s how I think when I see those pictures: “Fuck them.” That’s it.
But in public, on social media, etc., should I act like I care? I mean, just to make myself look good?
That’s a common reaction to things too difficult to rationalize otherwise: apathy.
If you want to feign sympathy because you think it’ll make you look good, go for it.
Dale Carnegie might encourage you to accept the worst possible outcome -really accept it- then try to improve upon it. And keep trying to improve upon it.
This goes hand in hand with ACT - acceptance and commitment therapy - which is a common method used to help people deal with grief and getting unstuck (overcoming anxiety, fears, etc.), and acceptance is the critical first step. Once you really accept things, that gives you the foundation for commitments to improve the situation.
And they don’t necessarily have to be related. You could accept that your partner has dumped you and your commitment might be moving onward with your life by taking/investing time for yourself.
Or you could accept that a war on the other side of the world is not it really influenced much (or at all) by your decisions so you instead you might go for a bicycle ride or go fishing. Something you would rather do than interact with content that you ‘don’t give a fuck about.’