I asked if then, now I'm asking why.
As an antinatalist, wouldn't the overall reduction of suffering (produced in this instance by caring) be a benefit?
You brought up anti-natalism, so I'm gonna try to tackle this question from that angle.
A cornerstone of my philosophy is the concept that the positive and negative sensations associated with certain acts are often
outweighed by each other. This also applies to, and is inextricably intertwined with, positive and negative outcomes. From this, we can derive four distinct parameters.
(A) There are acts that induce positive sensations, and positive outcomes.
(B) There are acts that induce positive sensations, yet negative outcomes.
(C) There are acts that induce negative sensations and negative outcomes.
And, perhaps most interestingly,
(D) There are acts that induce negative sensations, yet positive outcomes.
The lines between these parameters can be difficult to define with precision, for they can be blurred and mixed together. The idea is that outcomes
always outweigh sensations, because they have a greater long-term effect. Sensations are temporary and spontaneous; outcomes have an impact, or leave a mark. They're more tangible and pragmatic, whereas sensations tend to be ephemeral and superficial. As such, it would be prudent to prioritize inducing positive outcomes at all times.
The simplest answer to your question here is that, to me, the positive outcomes that manifest as a result of
caring far outweigh the negative sensations it can induce within me. Likewise, the negative outcomes that manifest as a result of NOT caring far outweigh any personal comfort it gives me. Generally speaking.
So no. The emotional suffering I personally endure from my deep consideration for the world and all its inhabitants is a necessary evil. If I were to stop caring, perhaps I'd instantly become a happier person--but I would lose not just an integral part of who I am as a person; it would also negatively impact other aspects of my life.
I could stop being a vegan right now, indulge in all those savory animal products I enjoyed so much in my teen years, and ultimately be happier--but so much of my adult life has been dedicated to spreading awareness of animal cruelty. I've inspired more people to become vegan than I can count on my two hands. A lot of people have shown their respect for my efforts. And, above all, I'm doing a good, moral thing which will eventually cascade into a movement--and I'll be one of its forerunners.
Or maybe not. Perhaps veganism will die just like I will, and my efforts will have proven futile.
I guess that means I should just give up, right? Because the possibility of failure is there?
No. Even if none of my beliefs come to fruition--even if nothing I want to happen ever happens--anti-natalism, veganism, feminism, socialism, higher minimum wage, free college, trans-acceptance, abolition of the sports industry, drinking age increased to 30, dead republicans and libertarians on the street, etc. etc. etc.--I want to die KNOWING that I lived for what I believe in. There is nothing to me that sounds more glorious--yes, even if everything I believe in gets snuffed out by the annals of history.
When Trump got elected, nobody was more despondent than me. Never once did I ask myself, "Why should I care? Why do I put myself through this? Why do I get so upset about these things?"
Not that there's anything wrong with asking yourself these questions, but the reason I never did is because I already had the answers. For myself, mind you. I care, I suffer, because I desire
so much to see a better day. It gives my life a sense of purpose. If I were to stop caring, in my mind, I'd be guaranteeing myself a truly meaningless life.
That's me. From your perspective, you might view my outlook as laughable or futile. Maybe even childish, or perhaps uncharacteristically optimistic. My outlook comes more out of a sense of anger and entitlement, though, not optimism. Things are gonna suck and I'm fully aware of it, but you've got another thing coming if you think I'm just gonna stand back and let life trample over me. I want to trample over my life. I'm not there yet, but I'm trying, and I'm fighting. Maybe I'll fail, but if I do, it won't be in vain.
It's important to understand that, though it may not seem like it, I don't actually worry myself sick about every little thing in the universe. You can't care about everything--you do have to be focused, and this will allow you to care for fewer things more efficiently. If you're expending all your emotional energy on things that are perhaps out of your reach, then that's creating unnecessary stress.
As an anti-natalist, do I have a conniption fit every single time I hear a couple talk about wanting to have children? No, especially if I don't even know them. I don't let it bother me a bit, because 1.) There's absolutely nothing I can do to influence their decision, and 2.) even if I did, that's not an efficient way to spread my ideology, and 3.) it's just a singular distraction; the hour I spent sulking about it could be spent writing a research paper for class instead.
You have to learn when and where to make sacrifices. Yeah, I said that--as a caring person, you have to decide which things you
don't care about. Because if you're stressing about too many unnecessary things that you can't change, then you'll just go crazy and you'll never get anything done. You've strayed even further from the path you intend to pave yourself through.
As strange as this is going to sound coming from me, your mental health should come first. People are at their BEST when their brains are, and if you are interested in being a caring person, you must have a healthy mind. It's not healthy to care too much, because it'll only make you want to care less; and less (to a degree) is more.
Basically what I'm saying is, it's okay to not give a shit sometimes. You need to give your emotions a break. When you hear on the news that there's been yet another terrorist attack or school shooting, don't allow yourself to become
numb to it, but DO allow yourself to stand back up after taking the blow. You have to learn how to take it when you hear bad news. Take initiative and strengthen yourself; don't let bad news have a stranglehold on your life.
Vent online if you need to. Do whatever you need to do to convert your stress into a usable, self-sustaining energy that allows you to wake up the next morning and say, "All right, let's do it better this time." And for god's sake, don't allow yourself to get discouraged if you stumble on the way there.
I think I've said everything i wanted to, but I'll probably have a million things to add later. Either way, I hope you got more than absolutely nothing out of this. Sandtrap ended up saying a lot of the things I wanted to say, too, but even better.
I want nothing more than for you to be strong enough to grab life by its horns and show it who's boss. If you feel that apathy is what's going to help you achieve a happier/healthier existence, then I can't say I don't support that--though would urge you to have
selective apathy, as I described above. Don't let nihilism consume you, but allow yourself some breathing room when life rears its ugly head.
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