Reacting or Not Reacting to Violence

[blackraven]

When you see violence in the news, on TV, video games or in a movie how does it make you feel? I fear becoming desensitized to violence and that is something I can’t live with. I say, “Oh that’s so horrible” or I cringe, but I wonder if the abundance of it in my face makes me feel less horrified than I should be. I feel to live life and not fall completely apart I almost do have to not personalize what I see. But in accepting that it’s happening to others and not me personally or to someone close I feel almost evil. I should be horrified and yet I believe I am somewhat desensitized. Do we get to pick and choose whom we cry for? What is happening to the world we live in? Seems in bad taste to capitalize on violence; even reporters do it. I just want to feel the pain again and not throw what I see somewhere in the back of my mind without having to live in a bubble. I feel hypocritical as a spiritual being living in this state. What are your thoughts on this subject?

Blackraven

[WhiteWarrior]

On today's news one of the stories were about an 84 year old man in my country. He did the mistake of going to the grocery store. As he paid with his debit card and wrote the code, the man after him in the queue seemed to stand quite close to him. Ten minutes later he was going toward his front door when the man from the shop showed up with two pals. They fought the 84 year old with bad legs down to the ground and took his wallet and cell phone. By the time the old man had managed to alert his neighbor to call the police, ten minutes or so, his bank account was empty. The robbers were seen leaving the scene in a car with foreign license plates. They were also eventually found on the grocery store's tape. That is likely the only place they will be found as the car probably went straight for the border from the bank automat.

I want to be 84 years old and get robbed like that, but while hiding an illegal weapon and afflicting terrible and preferably lethal damage to my assailants. The state can feel welcome to put me behind bars for it. At that age, I will be a honor prisoner.

So yes, you can say that the news can still make me react. But tomorrow the three or any other of the tens of thousands of other foreign criminals coming to my country specifically to rob the sick and the elderly and other weak, easy targets as they leave their nursing homes for an hour. I would give you a hundred newslinks but the mods would probably claim they told too much about which countries supplies us with most of these criminals. It is not the same countries who supply us with robbers of children by the way.

Call it what you will. I get angry at injustice and abuse and it seems someday most of the news stories are full of it. Sometimes I rage. As for the tv series I don't bother watching them. It is just fantasies. But the robbers of kids and of infirm are real. I hope the day never come when I watch or read the news and feel nothing.

That's a sad story White Warrior and all too common. I hate violence of any sort, I feel empathy with all victims.

[Gem]

There's a lot of bad news and I see a lot of injustice in life, violent movies are a bit of fun and I like Breaking Bad. Being exposed to violence in real life is a lot different, and it gets under your skin after a while.

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by WhiteWarrior

On today's news one of the stories were about an 84 year old man in my country. He did the mistake of going to the grocery store. As he paid with his debit card and wrote the code, the man after him in the queue seemed to stand quite close to him. Ten minutes later he was going toward his front door when the man from the shop showed up with two pals. They fought the 84 year old with bad legs down to the ground and took his wallet and cell phone. By the time the old man had managed to alert his neighbor to call the police, ten minutes or so, his bank account was empty. The robbers were seen leaving the scene in a car with foreign license plates. They were also eventually found on the grocery store's tape. That is likely the only place they will be found as the car probably went straight for the border from the bank automat.

I want to be 84 years old and get robbed like that, but while hiding an illegal weapon and afflicting terrible and preferably lethal damage to my assailants. The state can feel welcome to put me behind bars for it. At that age, I will be a honor prisoner.

So yes, you can say that the news can still make me react. But tomorrow the three or any other of the tens of thousands of other foreign criminals coming to my country specifically to rob the sick and the elderly and other weak, easy targets as they leave their nursing homes for an hour. I would give you a hundred newslinks but the mods would probably claim they told too much about which countries supplies us with most of these criminals. It is not the same countries who supply us with robbers of children by the way.

Call it what you will. I get angry at injustice and abuse and it seems someday most of the news stories are full of it. Sometimes I rage. As for the tv series I don't bother watching them. It is just fantasies. But the robbers of kids and of infirm are real. I hope the day never come when I watch or read the news and feel nothing.

WhiteWarrior - What you described is a daily occurrence in a city some 30 miles away from where I live. If older people aren't getting beat up then houses are being burnt to the ground. It's called the murder capital. TV news is very depressing in reporting the daily incidences there. Like you, I get angry listening to the horrific behavior that some of my fellow human beings have toward others. I used to cry, but now I just say how disgusted I am with people who have no regard for life or other's livelihood. I never feel nothing, but am starting to turn the news off in order to enjoy my dinner. I just can't eat while watching the evening news talk about crimes against helpless people. That turning off the TV is a way of dissociating, but is also a way of keeping my little world less anxious. Thank you for your input, WhiteWarrior.

Blackraven

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by primrose

That's a sad story White Warrior and all too common. I hate violence of any sort, I feel empathy with all victims.

primrose - I feel empathy and in putting myself in other's shoes it's too painful on a daily basis. Like WhiteWarrior I try to eliminate violence in TV programs, but the news is reality and given what state of mind I'm in, I'll make myself watch it or turn it off. I'd like to be one of those kind of people that cares enough to get involved personally and make a difference, but unfortunately I leave it up to others. That is why I feel as guilty as the criminal sometimes.

Blackraven

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by Gem

There's a lot of bad news and I see a lot of injustice in life, violent movies are a bit of fun and I like Breaking Bad. Being exposed to violence in real life is a lot different, and it gets under your skin after a while.

Gem - It seems like most action-packed movies have some form of violence in them. I look back in history and think about the times when large colosseums in ancient Roman times had thousands show up to cheer on fights between people or with animals. Barbarism seems to have stood the test of time.

Blackraven

[IsleWalker]

Originally Posted by blackraven

When you see violence in the news, on TV, video games or in a movie how does it make you feel? I fear becoming desensitized to violence and that is something I can’t live with. I say, “Oh that’s so horrible” or I cringe, but I wonder if the abundance of it in my face makes me feel less horrified than I should be. I feel to live life and not fall completely apart I almost do have to not personalize what I see. But in accepting that it’s happening to others and not me personally or to someone close I feel almost evil. I should be horrified and yet I believe I am somewhat desensitized. Do we get to pick and choose whom we cry for? What is happening to the world we live in? Seems in bad taste to capitalize on violence; even reporters do it. I just want to feel the pain again and not throw what I see somewhere in the back of my mind without having to live in a bubble. I feel hypocritical as a spiritual being living in this state. What are your thoughts on this subject?

Blackraven

Blackraven--

This falls into the category for me of a kind of dual holding of two feelings at once.

I struggled for a long time with negativity, in myself, in seeing it in politics, news, movies--everywhere. I had to cut myself off from it for a long time.

There is the reality of seeing humans do horrible things to each other, to the earth. But there is a kind of trust that you hold in your heart that these things are all lessons for all who participate (including myself). You know that they have chosen these paths in order to learn. You know that, despite what we all are doing to the Earth, she will survive. And if she does not, there is another plan in place.

So, it's a kind of practice of holding two thoughts/two opposing ideas at one time: (1) The compassion for those in the middle of those experiences and (2) The absolute knowledge that it has a much higher purpose that we cannot fully understand.

It will make you less crazy when confronted with these things--and it happens all the time.

Blessings in your search.

Lora

[Vinayaka]

I boycott it as much as possible. If we all did, Hollywood would no longer make such shows. I feel like the schoolyard watcher cheering on the fight, but of course in a less subtle way.

So it's like stealing a grand, or a penny, the principle remains the same.

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by IsleWalker

Blackraven--

This falls into the category for me of a kind of dual holding of two feelings at once.

I struggled for a long time with negativity, in myself, in seeing it in politics, news, movies--everywhere. I had to cut myself off from it for a long time.

There is the reality of seeing humans do horrible things to each other, to the earth. But there is a kind of trust that you hold in your heart that these things are all lessons for all who participate (including myself). You know that they have chosen these paths in order to learn. You know that, despite what we all are doing to the Earth, she will survive. And if she does not, there is another plan in place.

So, it's a kind of practice of holding two thoughts/two opposing ideas at one time: (1) The compassion for those in the middle of those experiences and (2) The absolute knowledge that it has a much higher purpose that we cannot fully understand.

It will make you less crazy when confronted with these things--and it happens all the time.

Blessings in your search.

Lora

IsleWalker - I would so much like to have your attitude! It seems much healthier than mine. I guess the pain I feel is driving me a bit crazy. Perhaps I need to take a break from watching, reading and listening to too much violence in the world. I've taken a hiatus from meditating. Not sure why, but it's something I need to get my self back to in order to become centered and less concerned with all the madness in the world. Thanks for your input, IsleWalker.