Only one enemy is worse than despair: indifference. In every area of human creativity, indifference is the enemy; indifference of evil is worse than evil, because it is also sterile.~ Elie Wiesel
1. lack of interest or concern: We were shocked by their indifference toward poverty.
2. unimportance; little or no concern: Whether or not to attend the party is a matter of indifference to him.
3. the quality or condition of being indifferent.
4. mediocre quality; mediocrity.
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While using my copy of The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becky Puglisi, bloggers at The Bookshelf Muse, the number of descriptive phrases and words that describe a person who exhibits the characteristics of indifference amazed me.
However, I felt somewhat indifferent about the word after reading through the list and found myself struggling with describing it for you, dear reader.
Using The Emotion Thesaurus listing and the list of synonyms for indifference on Thesaurus.com, I created a wordcloud. This seemed a unique and the best way to show the variety of characteristics available to bring the indifferent character to life.
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Click on images for sources.
Reblogged this on Wyndy Dee.
Wyndy Dee, thanks for the reblog!
I can relate to indifference (apathy), which is a defense mechanism and a symptom of culture shock.
Belinda, I thought of you and life story as I wrote this post. Definitely a defense mechanism.
Thanks for this post, very informative
Thanks for stopping by!
“To be indifferent in a situation of injustice is to side with the oppressor.” I cannot remember who said that, but I understand it and believe it is true.
Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
Rob, I like that quote! Thanks for stopping by and sharing it with me.
that thesaurus is invaluable!and i am indifferent on so few items, i think…
happy i day!
Happy i day to you too, Tara! Yes, I love that thesaurus.
Great I post! Indifference seems very prevalent in our society right now and it’s a little scary. I understand totally what the comment about it being a defense mechanism. While I wasn’t truly indifferent, I put on such a good show of it that it almost became real. I’m glad that it didn’t. There were several years of my life that I was so afraid of being hurt again that I pretended not to care and tried my best to appear hard. It wasn’t a real solution but it was all that I could think of at the time.
Tracy, we all get caught up in trying to protect ourselves and keep hurts at bay, and yes, that leads to a kind of indifference. Not a real solution, but definitely a defense mechanism. I hope that live has taken a turn for you so that’s no longer necessary. 🙂
This is a great post. It’s so true – I think I’m afraid of becoming indifferent.
Jaime at Awakenings and Reflections
Jaime, thanks for your visit and comment. It is good that you’re “afraid of becoming indifferent.” Likely that will forestall you from it. That’s my hope!
Sherrey, I once had a “close” friend whose attitude turned to indifference towards me. It was a hurtful form of rejection. In any situation, it is a deadly attitude. Thank you for highlighting that.
Cate, indifference especially from a friend is very hurtful. I know because it has happened to me too. Definitely a deadly character trait. Thanks for coming by even though you should be resting!! 🙂
Resting makes zero difference hon. 🙂 You are a happy distraction and that is much more valuable.
My heart feels warm and fuzzy right now. Sending back a bunch to you!
🙂
Reading the words on the word cloud made me pause and consider if I am sometimes indifferent, and if so, why I am that way. Nice post!
I’m glad you found the word cloud thought provoking. I think we all have our seasons of indifference and it’s good to pause and ask why. Thanks for stopping by!
Great post Sherrey thank you! The perennial Joker and perhaps the jocular character often has a dark side – too much of it, I guess an extreme of it, becomes extreme and perhaps is a facade for something else.Susan Scott’s Soul Stuff
Thanks for stopping by, Susan!
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