Why Doesn't Anybody Really Care Anymore?

Dear Editor,

Okay, this may come off as a bit of a rant & maybe it is, but I’m not mad at anybody in particular. Hell, I’m really not even mad, just sad! The lack of empathy in the overwhelming majority of human beings saddens me. Yes, it does piss me off sometimes too, but really, that does nobody any good; they don’t care & it only sours the bearer of the ill-will until he or she becomes a hermit/recluse at best and a hater/murderer at worst! Now I’m not saying that nobody actually cares; many show this every day, but do they really care? Would they act the same way if it didn’t somehow benefit them? Rarely will you find someone offering a random act of kindness without it benefiting them, somehow, in some way. I will acknowledge that these people do exist, but they are few and far between!

The question has been proffered, “why doesn’t anybody really care anymore?” One might assume from this question that I believe that nobody really does care anymore. In some sense, that one would assume correctly; I believe that there are very few people (indeed) who will show love for a fellow human being, without some sort of benefit to themselves, be it notoriety, or outright selfish greed. Do I believe there are people who will simply show kindness to another without hope of reward? Yes. Do I believe that most people have an agenda? YES! Now, to be honest, there are daily examples happening all around us that shout out the fact that many people actually do care. Many such deeds in fact seem selfless even, but masks are easy to wear. As Tom Cruise once said, “Show me the money!”

So, I guess the point of my rant is, though there are shining examples of unconditional love (those who really care), there are many more (overwhelmingly so) who, even if they do provide what’s needed, there’s always an agenda. Along these same lines, many people are ONLY out for themselves! If what they want or think they need somehow benefits another, well, it can’t be helped, but “if it’s not for my benefit, it ain’t gonna happen!”

Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate people, even those I’ve mentioned who don’t really care, though it’s very tempting sometimes. I’m not pointing fingers or naming names, so if this little rant pisses anyone off, we know I’ve struck a nerve. I believe that people can change. I believe they will, with the right influence and environment. Unfortunately, that puts the proverbial ball in our court. Can we do our part? Will we do our part?

I welcome any and all discussion, whether it be face to face or in these pages.

Charles Haddon Shank

Whitehall, Montana