Life After People (History Channel)

[saden1]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Acedia is still a the actual root evil and no one (even given the "que sera" from 70Chip), is argueing for it or, IMO, exhibiting its symptoms. In leveling your various assertions of sinful behavior and/or, mental illness, you continue to assert that your emotional reaction is the only legitimate way for a human to consider and deal with the hypothetical physical destruction of humanity [this is indeed my position]. However, the alternative to this ultimate sadness you seem to require is the acknowledgment that, while sad, it is beyond our control and we will not spend more than a moment thinking about it [this is an also my position though you make it seem like it's an either or proposition]. This is not acedia [check my first usage of the word apathy, this word engineer shit doesn't work on me].

Someone who approached this issue with acedia would have nothimg more to say than, "ehh so what" [and to be indifferent is to be what exactly?].

"Sloth (or acedia) is a kind of spiritual laziness (as opposed to mere physical fatigue or depression). It means not making it a priority to do what we should, or change what we should in ourselves. Some people might call it apathy [I am one of them], which means a lack of feeling." Seven Deadly Sins - Sloth/Acedia

You, in a very patronizing and emothionally elitest fashion [sometimes you just have to be, I'll work on getting it under control], confuse apathy with an introspective resolution on how to deal with the destruction of our physical being [when? where?].

When I was a child, death and events out of my control scared me. They scare me still, but, as an introspective adult, I recognize them for what they are - either inevitable or events beyond my control and for which the self protective purpose of the fear instinct is inapplicable. I feel, understand, and accept the emotion, then, with thought and care, I move beyond it.

If I and others have practised this process throughout our lives and need not be struck with deep introspection each time a variation on this theme is presented, that is not laziness but a recognition of an already solved problem for which deep thought is not required. With experience, I need not conduct intrusive surgery to determine if each cut has caused internal injury.

In fact, the assertion that it is natural to feel overwhelming sadness and that those who don't are clearly apathetic can, itself be a indication of sloth. Surrender to emotional responses is easy and requires no thought or introspection. That is a failure to make "it a priority to do what we should" and a true spiritual laziness.

All but the truly apathic will experience emotional responses, it is how we deal with them that determines our vitality. [WTF?]

See comments following quoted text.

Eloquent indeed. What isn't obvious is of course that my conversations were with two different people and how you mange to mish-and-mesh what I said in my responses. Clearly 70Chip felt that his position was superior and CRedskinsRule didn't understand my position though he respected it (I probably should have done a better job respecting his position). I love how you also dismiss me as an elitist smug sob all the while implicitly convaying your take as a more rational position.

70Chip expclititly said "Indifference is perfectly acceptable." If such a postion is not reflective of apathy I don't know what is. If he wants to clear the record he is more than welcome. And of course he went with the godlessness as the cause of my concern.

I am not sure what warented the highlighted long blob of text. Everyone here is an adult and I shouldn't be expected to explain everything as if I am talking to a child. Certain things should be abvious and need not explination, especially when it comes to the doom of us all.