Apathy Drives The World
Another dreary day working an event I wouldn’t want to attend and I end up posted in the parkade with a new security guy. After witnessing a near-collision with a slow-moving car and a parked car we get to talking and he makes the observation that “apathy drives the world“. I asked him what he meant and he says “well you’re afraid of honking your horn for getting shot“. This did little to clarify his statement but he had to go to a different post before I could inquire further.
How can apathy drive the world? How can not caring push anything forward? Or did he mean it literally, that there are apathetic people driving cars the world over? Perhaps he was trying to say collisions occur because people don’t care. If people don’t care why is road rage a problem? Or maybe they only care about themselves. But then wouldn’t it be selfishness driving the world? Isn’t that the fundamental principal behind capitalism?
His follow-up comment about getting shot would more suggest fear drives the world.
A strong case could definitely be made that fear drives the world. Economic activity driven by a fear of being poor. Fear certainly plays a big role in American politics lately. Fear also holds us back, keeps us from taking risks, both rightly and wrongly. Fear can protect us and limit us.
I think in the end I have no idea what he meant. It could just be one of those things cynics say. I guess I could find him and ask but I’m too apathetic.
And that’s The Wørd.
