Apathy is something a lot of well-meaning pastors, my fellow starry-eyed college students, and motivational speakers who are only in it for the quick buck and book deal talk about. These people are stupid, because all they ever talk about is passion and having passion and finding passion and they never find a new way to say what they are trying to convey, and so even in this way they are themselves apathetic.
Most of us are apathetic. Most of us like things the way they are to some extent, and those of us who don't are probably young or brave or both, and there is only so much room for people like that, because I take up a lot of space, and apathy breeds contentment, which in turn breeds contempt for change, which is generally a side effect of "passion." Apathy can be good because it keeps us from having to take steps back every ten minutes to make sure we're progressing in the right direction. If Thomas Jefferson was right, and we really should have a revolution every 20 years, we would spend all of our time killing each other, and nobody would ever get to enjoy the country we had revolutionized to. Besides, "passion" doesn't usually pay well. Just ask Peacecorps or Americorps volunteers. The Americorps website tells us, "Perhaps the biggest benefit you will experience when you join AmeriCorps is the satisfaction of incorporating service into your life and making a difference in your community and country." In other words, "passion" and "penury" tend to go hand-in-hand. Apathy isn't much of a living, but at least it's steady.
And of course I don't want to diminish what a lot of brave or stupid people have decided to do with their lives. The world needs a lot more of us suckers who can lead by example so the rest of them can stop feeling so dang content about their lives, but let's face it: most of us want to be Mother Theresa in a BMer. We want the glitter covered Hannah Montana's best of both worlds fantasy tripe where we simultaneously are normal people like me and you, but on the weekends everybody worships us, and of course by us I mean me. Everybody worships me. But I'm so humble that I don't even notice.
*pause while I throw up*
Anyways, I don't think apathy is even the problem because I know loads of incredibly hard-working individuals who struggle through the American dream every day at work, and get home in time for the sun to set on their white picket fence, and their children to ignore them for Ke$ha or their new huge LCD screen blaring out the latest gossip and nonsense straight from the evil heart of the West itself, Ryan Seacrest.
The problem is ennui. The problem is chronic boredom. It's a systematic dumbing down of the intellect on a consistent, though probably unconscious, basis. The problem is us finding new ways to keep ourselves occupied with the smallest, most distracting part of our already limited view so we can never see even what portion we might be able to see of the big picture. George of Dalmatia made a Baptistry in Sibenik where individual carved stone leaves resonate with specific musical tones when struck. This is inspiration. The Sistine Chapel was built in 4 years, and was Michelangelo's first major painting. His FIRST major painting. He was understaffed and underfunded, and he still turned out, in the time it will take me to get a useless degree, possibly the most beautiful piece of art the world has ever seen. This is the power of a man with a lot of direction and time on his hands.
Maybe instead of "stop being apathetic," we should be saying, "stop being so freaking dumb." Stop cutting yourself so much slack. Stop thinking about how much you need a break from work or a vacation or an opportunity to "recharge." Stop drinking so much coffee and 5-hour energy, and live your life as you know you should because this is your one and only chance to be everything you ever wanted to be, and to do the things the world never thought was possible, and if you don't take that chance, you will never find the meaning, the motivation, or the "passion" you crave.
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