apatheia
- noun
- /ˌæpəˈθiːə/
:
apatía
- The concept of apatheia emphasizes the importance of emotional neutrality in achieving inner peace.
Examples
-
In the teachings of the Desert Fathers, apatheia allows individuals to maintain their focus without emotional distractions.
-
The desert fathers and mothers spoke of this indifference as apatheia, the spiritual discipline of "detachment" or "dispassion," the practice of apathy with respect to matters of unimportance.
Academic text (1994) -
Aapatheia is often described as a calm state of mind where one remains unaffected by external events.
Synonyms
71
4.6
Lack of interest or concern about something
43
6.2
A lack of interest or care about things
5
4.6
A lack of feeling or interest in things often after long stress
1
6.1
A state of not feeling worried or interested about something
1
8.5
A lack of visible feeling or reaction
1
8.5
A lack of strong feelings or interest
A state of showing little or no feeling
A lack of visible emotion
Not showing feeling or reaction to events
A state of not showing strong feelings when good or bad things happen
A lack of feeling for people, things, or memories that matter
A lack of interest in things, even important ones
Antonyms
How Passionate
Surface Forms
Morphology
apatheia = apathy (semi-transparent) = a + patheia + ia
The general negative-forming prefix 'a-' and the connection to 'apathy' make the basic meaning inferable, but the exact sense ('indifference' vs. Stoic ideal) is somewhat specialized.
Etymology
Apatheia comes from Greek parts a- 'without' and pathos 'feeling' or 'passion', like the root in sympathy and empathy. Today it often means a calm lack of interest or concern, so someone with apatheia seems emotionally indifferent or unmoved by what is happening.