I'm really desensitised to violence

[Alpha]

I just found myself watching a video of large farm animals (sheep, goats, horses and cows, so far) being ground up in a machine, and like bursting when they didn't fit in one go. The other day I watched a video of a man in North Korea being executed by firing squad. I watched a beheading once (on video).

Yet the only video in recent memory that has made me flinch and look away in disgust is a government "wear your seatbelt" ad where a video x-ray shows a woman's neck snapping in an accident (just a video effects thing). I have a thing about spines needing to not break.

I realised that somehow I have become rather desensitised to video violence. At least I hope it's only video violence. Something about a computer screen and the vague possibility that it's not real allows my brain to disconnect from the horrific thing I'm watching, and the realisation that what I'm watching actually happened. I don't know how or why this happened, or if I need to address it.

What about you? Can you tolerate internet violence?

[Pete]

I can watch violence all day and night without much of a problem. Oddly enough, medical images freak me the **** out. A girl I went to hs with brought in a few pictures of her arthroscopic knee surgery and my stomach was in knots. I also can't stand to watch the needle go into my arm when I donate blood. I have no problem watching the blood collect in the bag, but I have to look away when they stick me.

And now I want to look for a gore/rekt thread while I eat my blueberry muffin

[Heartless Angel]

Violence doesn't bother me at all. Never really has.

[Unknown Entity]

I went through a phase of watching shock videos online when I used to MSN regularly with people here. Stumbled upon that "Two Guys One Hammer" murder video. I didn't watch the whole thing because it really disturbed me. I threw up a little.

The other day, I saw a dead body on the way home from work. Homeless guy died outside the famous pub and club, The World's End and Underworld. Well. I didn't see all of him - just a silhouette of his feet because of the lighting in the tent that had been set up around him. The silhouette was amusing, but knowing he was stone cold dead was pretty heartbreaking.

Aaaand some guy got stabbed yesterday in the Off Licence just a minute away from work. Some guy went to rob the store, and the guy who got stabbed tried to play hero. The shop keeper brought the shutters down when the hero had the robber restrained, but he brought a shelf of liqueur down on his head, stabbed him with some scissors and broke out the shop. Got tasered while trying to escape/hide in CeX. I saw all the police tape and blood this morning. Shop has smashed glass, blood and alcohol everywhere. That was pretty upsetting to see too, and thinking the friendly shop keeper was dead.

I get pretty violent if I'm cornered or threatened. I'm the stupid git who'll try to be the hero.

[OceanEyes28]

Y'all some creepy mother****as.

It doesn't bother me as much as it used to, which is maybe better for my sanity because it's everywhere, but goodness yes it still bothers me.

I hope I'm lucky enough to always be bothered by it.

[Pete]

I don't think the violence itself and the shock of seeing it affects me, as much as the idea that there are people who can and will do horrific things to each other, children and animals that really bothers and enrages me. It's kind of like "No shit, there are bad people in the world", but when you see them being absolutely evil and depraved, it has a whole other effect, as opposed to seeing something like construction accidents or car crashes.

Just for the record, it's not like I go looking for these things for any pleasure or anything. Sometimes you just see some shit, and it's a morbid curiosity.

[01habbo]

Yes, I'm very much a wimp and proud of it I don't like watching gore and violence in films, and certainly won't go looking for it. The most violence I've seen is what has been shown on the news which isn't much. Saw a report on that school shooting in Pakistan, and they showed the aftermath, with all the bullets in the walls, made me feel a bit sick, but that's probably it I tend to avoid violence, horror like the plague.

[Meier Link]

Gore and violence do not bother me with one exception and that is if it involves my kids. I use to moderate a Gore site and grew accustomed to things like death. Curious mind.

When it's my kids it does bother me. I have cried many of nights due to the little ones hurting their selves and knowing there isn't much I can do.

Media Wise I don't even bat an eye anymore.

[Clint]

I feel like society as a whole is taught to be numb to violence. It's portrayed in media as a normal everyday occurrence. I saw a video of a criminal being set on fire once. He burned for a while, and then fell to the ground, and then when the fire went out, the video panned in on him, and he was still alive, and it not only made me sick to my stomach, it gave me nightmares. I can't take violence. I'm very naïve and idealistic, and I view things from all perspectives, including the perspective of the victim. Imagine waking up in the morning, perfectly healthy. Later that day, you're tied to a post and set on fire for a petty crime. You're withering in agony on the pavement wishing for death. What started as a normal day turned into hell. Even the thought makes me sick. Nobody should have to be put through that shit, and nobody should watch it. People shouldn't be desensitized to it, because that's essentially stating that you're fine with things like that happening. Nobody should view violence from an outward perspective, but rather from the perspective of the victim. Put yourself in the victim's place. Do you want to be murdered? Probably not, so why would anybody feel nothing while watching somebody else being murdered?


I have watched some videos involving violence towards animals, but cruelty to animals makes me enraged. We claim to be the most intelligent species on the planet, while simultaneously brutalizing other species, as well as our own, and destroying the only planet in the universe that can sustain our lives. We're dumb as shit, but we sure do have inflated egos.

[Alpha]

People shouldn't be desensitized to it, because that's essentially stating that you're fine with things like that happening.

That's a bit of a leap. At least for me, it's not like I'm trying to not feel anything when I come across violence like that. I've just grown so used to it that it is hard to feel something without additional emotional or physical connection, rather than just an anonymous video on the internet from an unverifiable source. No, I am unequivocally not OK with violence like that happening to anyone. But I've just watched some old crappy phone footage from thousands of kilometres and several oceans away. What am I supposed to do? Being sad about it doesn't exactly do anything in itself.

I would expect to be much more disturbed if I saw it in person and/or I knew someone involved, directly or indirectly. I've been fortunate enough that the worst violence I've ever seen in the flesh is a schoolyard punch-up.

[Heartless Angel]

What am I supposed to do? Being sad about it doesn't exactly do anything in itself.

This.

Emotional reactions don't solve problems. If anything, they actively interfere with rationality. There's no sense in empathizing when it doesn't change anything.

[Clint]

Rationalization isn't an appropriate response when watching people being murdered.

[Heartless Angel]

Assuming it's too late to change the outcome, no response is relevant.

Assuming it isn't, I'd rather be armed with a rational plan of action than a blind emotional rage.

[Crescent]

Violence doesn't bother me as much as it used to. Some of my favourite movies, anime and video games are extremely violent and gory in nature.

There is one type of violence that I cannot stand and that is cruelty towards animals in any form. I will never be desensitised to it - ever. It bothers me so much it is THE reason why I became vegan. Ive watchd some of those videos to educate myself on farm factories, fur trade practices n annual cultural events such as Yulin festival etc n tbh part of me is dead n I cant feel happy nymore bt it means jackshit compared to what those animals endure every minute of everyday n I exist in a fkd world where its socially acceptable. Forcing myself to watch those videos in the past and getting (extremely) emotional over them has paved the way for me to make better, kinder choices for the future so as to reduce my own footprint where animal abuse (/violence) takes place.

Being exposed to violence can be constructive. You can feel sad, hurt n angry bout it n turn a blind eye or u can use those painful emotions to push u into making a difference. In my experience the latter has made me more conscious of the choices I make in my daily life n I think about all the misery and suffering (violence) that I'm not contributing to as a result of my choices.

Child abuse and rape are also on my taboo list. Anything else Im not really phased.

[Clint]

I'd rather be armed with a rational plan of action than a blind emotional rage.

When you are in the moment of something happening, you aren't going to be thinking rationally. You will be relying off of emotion, predominately fear. Emotion isn't always blind. It's a very useful tool in surviving dangerous situations. It's a hell of a lot more useful than trying to think of a rational plan while denying the natural response your body will give, which is either run or fight.

And even if there's nothing you can do to change the outcome, empathy is good. I call him religious who understands the suffering of others.

[Heartless Angel]

It can be. As often as not, it ends up ****ing you.

I wouldn't consider 'religious' a compliment. Regardless, understanding does not require empathy.

[Alpha]

re: animal cruelty... actually despite my apparent lack of malaise, I make a point of only eating animals that I know have not had a terrible life. In practice this just means the only pork, chicken or eggs I eat are free range, as far as that is possible.

[GypsyElder]

It's funny you brought this up. Now I don't feel like such a weirdo.

I have been forcing myself to watch stuff like this, little by little, for the past year. Partially out of curiosity, but the main reason is because I don't want to forget that this happens. Like Clint said, I don't believe it occurs as often as media portrays, but it does happen. It is extremely easy to forget, especially here in the states, where most of everything is censored.

I fact, I want to get to the point where watching a person get beheaded doesn't bother me (as much). I mean--it will always--and should-- be a bit disturbing, but I don't want to be completely blindsided to it. I honestly feel that building a slight tolerance boosts a specific dimension of mental health. Like mentioned above, it is extremely difficult to watch, but it just reminds me how important it is to be mindful and appreciative of what is currently happening in life.

[OutlawTorn]

Digitally rendered or hollywood violence is nothing. When you see, and smell a rotting corpse before your very eyes and.know you're partially to blame for his or her senseless demise, you learn a whole lot about yourself, son.

CoD hasn't made you hard...

[Rocky]

idk, working in the ER has kind of more or less hardened me for that kind of gore and violence... but like trying to actively seek it out by finding videos of stuff on youtube or the deep web or wherever, that's something I've never had the spark for.

maybe im just a bitch but oh well!

[Hyzenthlay]

The thing about any violence for me is this- if it doesn't seem real, as in I haven't experienced it myself or it's something that's just bizarre in real life (like beheadings etc.) then it really doesn't phase me. However I have a really hard time with realistic things like bones breaking, or people being beaten up and such. I also hate thinking about blood and the thought of something happening to people's hearts. I think that's more to do with life experience. Like, these things have happened; I have bled before, I have been mugged and beaten up, my dad had a heart attack. These things freak me out because they hit home. Anything else seems almost like fiction. Even if I see it happening on a screen, it's just on a screen like so many films, TV shows and video games. I don't think its necessarily a terrible thing. I certainly wouldn't be so unaffected if it happened right in front of me.

Hyz.