Can't lie flat, can't stand it! Contemporary young people are rushing to diagnose "Light Syndrome"

Speak “blandly”: “got it” and “ok” are the norm in conversation, and “forget it” is a colloquialism;

Social "light": maintaining relationships depends on fate, social communication depends on drifting bottles, and a little bit of emotion is enough to maintain;

Love is “light”: you can talk about it or not, and you can live alone.

Following "crazy literature", "indifferent studies" and "indifferent people" have become new online hot topics, and topics related to "indifferent syndrome" often appear on the Internet's hot searches, sparking heated discussions among netizens.

So, what is "indifferent learning"? Why has "indifferent syndrome" become a common and popular mental state among contemporary young people?

What is "indifferent learning"?

The so-called "learning to be indifferent" can be simply summarized as keeping a calm mood no matter what happens, not getting angry or crazy, "just tasting the process" and "being okay, it doesn't matter" about the result - "letting everything be indifferent" has even become a life declaration.

There are many "indifferent people" in the workplace. They live indifferently: they show an attitude that is neither aggressive nor passive, and are vividly described as "can't lie flat, and can't be broken." They don't participate in internal competition, and they don't want to be promoted or get a raise. Facing these external stimuli, "indifferent people" seem to have built a solid barrier in their hearts. These fluctuations cannot touch their deep emotions, and they can remain calm in any form of praise or blame. Because for an indifferent person, not every conflict at work is worth investing emotions, and not every pressure needs to be responded to with tension.

Supporters of the "indifferent school" emphasize the philosophy of life that goes with the flow, accepting the dullness of life, not overly craving for excitement and change, and maintaining their basic survival motivation in the day-to-day trivialities. They will not enter into a relationship unless it is necessary, and even in an intimate relationship, they will not fight for it, force it, or retain it. When faced with some bloody plots in their love life, they can still act as if nothing has happened - this is recognized by many people as a required course for being an "indifferent person".

Some people attribute the popularity of "indifferent learning" in part to the various pressures faced by young people, such as schoolwork, work, and interpersonal relationships. From this perspective, choosing to reduce mental burdens and simplifying desires is a self-healing method for "indifferent people" to relieve stress, eliminate internal friction, and accumulate energy. Many young people take the initiative to become "indifferent people" in fact because they hope to choose a life attitude - lowering expectations to protect themselves from emotional harm, shaping a stable and peaceful spiritual world by adjusting their own thresholds, and dealing with various uncertainties that may be encountered with a calm attitude.

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"Indifferent Learning" is not a spiritual paradise

"Being indifferent to learning" sounds comfortable, but it is not as safe as young people imagine, because "being indifferent" itself is an indescribable and difficult to define state, and although each "indifferent person" has common characteristics, they have completely different qualities, personalities and motivations.

Some people worry that "indifferentism" may reflect a tendency to escape from society. In "Introduction to Sociology" (written by Sun Benwen), the author mentioned that when individuals face social pressure that they cannot cope with, they may choose to escape from social responsibilities and obligations in order to seek inner peace. However, this escapist behavior may lead to the degradation of social functions and even affect the individual's social adaptability. In the view of cultural psychologists, when individuals cannot adapt to or identify with mainstream culture, cultural disharmony may occur, which in turn leads to psychological problems. For young people, excessive pursuit of "indifferentism" may mean that they feel alienated from mainstream culture or social expectations.

The indifferent attitude advocated by "indifferentism" may lead to the inhibition of emotional expression. Emotional expression is an important part of individual mental health. It helps to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships and can also help individuals effectively deal with inner conflicts. However, when individuals excessively pursue "indifference" and deliberately suppress or ignore their emotions, emotional expression may be blocked, thereby increasing the risk of psychological stress and emotional problems. This emotional inhibition may lead to emotional alienation and communication barriers, which in turn affects the individual's mental health and social function.

The pursuit of a dull life implied by "indifferent studies" may lead to a lack of motivation in individuals. Motivation is a key factor in individual behavior and goal orientation, which stimulates the individual's enthusiasm and creativity. However, when individuals excessively pursue "indifferent" and lose their passion and pursuit for life, it may lead to a decline in motivation levels and a lack of positive motivation and goals. This lack of motivation may lead to psychological stagnation and limited development of individuals, increasing the risk of developing psychological problems.

In addition, "being indifferent to learning" may exacerbate an individual's escapist mentality. Escapist mentality is a psychological tendency for an individual to avoid or escape reality when facing pressure, difficulties or challenges. The "indifferent" attitude advocated by "being indifferent to learning" may make it easier for individuals to choose to escape and avoid facing real problems. This escapist mentality may cause individuals to be unable to effectively cope with challenges in life, thereby exacerbating psychological problems such as anxiety and depression.

Often the mood is too " light "

Beware of pathological factors

When emotions are "too indifferent" no longer an occasional phenomenon, but become a persistent and difficult-to-change norm, we need to start taking this situation seriously and explore in depth the possible reasons behind it; we need to identify whether this indifference is a positive-oriented adaptation and self-regulation, or an external manifestation of some pathological problems.

1. Depression is a typical example. In clinical diagnosis, patients with depression often show symptoms such as emotional indifference, loss of interest, and loss of enthusiasm for life. Behind these symptoms is actually an imbalance in their brain neurotransmitters. Changes in the levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin in the brain directly affect people's emotions and moods. When the levels of these neurotransmitters are abnormal, it may lead to impaired emotional regulation, which in turn causes patients to experience symptoms of emotional indifference.

2. Some patients with personality disorders may lack emotional experience and expression for a long time , and may be slow to respond to emotional stimulation in daily life . Or even if they experience emotions, it is difficult to express them in words or other ways. This superficially meets the criteria of an "indifferent person", but in fact, the long-term indifference not only affects their social functions, but may also lead to a gradual increase in isolation and social barriers in daily life.

3. We also cannot ignore the impact of physical illness on emotional states . Some diseases involving the nervous system, such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, may damage the brain areas related to emotion regulation, resulting in reduced emotional responses. In addition, endocrine system disorders, such as thyroid dysfunction, are often associated with mood swings or apathy. Imbalances in hormone levels may have a profound impact on a person's emotional experience, causing them to feel emotionally numb or lack motivation in their daily lives.

4. In addition, some biological factors, genetic factors, environmental factors, etc. may also be related to emotional indifference . For example, certain brain injuries or diseases may cause damage to the emotion-related areas of the brain, leading to emotional indifference. Alternatively, long-term stress and traumatic experiences may also cause individuals to have numb reactions to external stimuli.

Therefore, before deciding to be a "calm person", you should first ensure that you are a healthy person mentally and psychologically : learn to be aware of and take care of your emotions, learn emotion regulation skills, and establish a social support system. On this basis, you can then look at the ups and downs of life "calmly", find positive factors in simple daily life, and retain a peaceful and happy self in a complex world.

References

[1] The Psychology of Culture Shock, by Colleen Ward and H. Triandis

[2] KT Straungman, Psychology of Emotion

[3] Achievement Motivation by David McClelland

[4] Masks of the Mind: 101 Psychological Defenses by Jerome S. Blackman

Planning and production

Author: Dou Yuanyuan, psychological counselor, member of China Science Writers Association

Review丨Liu Chuanxin, Vice President of Jining Medical College, Professor, Postdoctoral Fellow in Forensic Psychiatry

Planning丨Zhong Yanping

Editor: Zhong Yanping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin