Why is there so much indifference towards the problems of others?

Barcelona"This doesn't concern me," "I have more serious problems," "everyone should sort out their own issues," "I don't want to watch the news," "I don't want to know anything." It seems we live in a world where we care less and less about what happens to others and focus only on our own well-being and that of our closest circle. Pope Francis spoke about this phenomenon during his first Mass in Lampedusa following the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. He said that the world is suffering from the globalization of indifference, a message that was very well received, and not only within the religious world. In fact, historians and sociologists such as Christopher Lasch and Gilles Lipovetsky had already spoken about this global trend toward narcissism long before. "They said that we have moved toward a type of society where people only worry about themselves: their work, their apartment, their leisure time... And at most, their partner, children, and parents," explains Professor and philosopher Francesc Torralba.

It's a growing trend, and it doesn't just refer to undocumented immigrants or wars, but also to the homeless people we see every day on the street. "If we were to watch a homeless person begging in the subway for hours, we'd see that only once in a blue moon does someone approach them to see if they need anything," Torralba continues. Another symptom of this problem is the number of elderly people who live alone and whose deaths go unnoticed for days.

According to Torralba, this "epidemic" is even more serious in cities. "The more overcrowded society is, the more indifference there is. In a small town, indifference is very difficult because everyone knows each other and it's easier to help. In big cities, however, the other person is just part of the scenery, more dehumanized," he points out.

Desensitization

How did we get here? "Probably because there's a proliferation of bad news, and that generates a feeling of powerlessness: 'Since I can't change it, why should I get involved?'" the professor continues. In other words, there's an attitude of resignation and resignation in the face of others' misfortunes.

For the psychologist and president of the Emotional Ecology Foundation, which celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year, living bombarded with negative stimuli and information leaves us numb and desensitized. "When something is repeated a lot, there comes a point when we stop paying attention, not because we don't care, but because we've already exceeded all we could bear and we look for an escape." “For some it might be violence, but for many others it would be indifference,” Conangla points out.

In other words, it’s not that we are people without values or feelings, but rather that, faced with what hurts us, we create this kind of self-protection. Now, indifference is a defense mechanism that leads us to loneliness and isolation. It creates distant people, lacking empathy, disconnected from themselves, and hidden under multiple emotional layers. That’s why, when the suffering of others appears, they don’t feel it. And in that frozen landscape, neither compassion nor tenderness can sprout; feelings that welcome, care for, warm, comfort, and heal. Not forgetting that emotional coldness allows for cruelty, and cruelty has been and still is the driving force behind all kinds of violence in the world.

“Often, it’s also all the result of a failed emotional and ethical education,” the psychologist continues. If we haven’t been cared for and treated well. With respect and love, we may have problems with intimacy and relationships, since we haven't had balanced and loving role models.

In response to this, he proposes educating children from a young age with empathy, compassion, and tenderness. "These are three great preventatives against violence." “If we don’t sow the seeds, it’s very difficult for people to learn to care for vulnerable people,” he points out. Torralba, for his part, believes it’s essential to move away from figures and statistics, because all they do is dehumanize the people behind them. “To create awareness, we need narratives, to know who these people are to the point that we no longer see immigrants, but human beings like João or Tian,” he offers as examples. Ultimately, in an increasingly fast-paced and individualistic world, recovering the value of empathy is not just an act of kindness, but a vital necessity for coexistence and collective emotional well-being. We need to break down the wall of indifference with small but significant actions: a look, a word, a gesture of care. Only in this way can we rebuild broken bonds and see others not as a threat or a burden, but as human beings worthy of attention and respect.