Clerks and Apathy as a Way of Life
The moral case for letting go of the things you care about.
Author’s Note: I just released my first of what I call “Meaning Monday”. All subscribers should be able to vote in the poll until this Monday, but only paid subscribers can discuss it in detail. Feel free to head over and check it out… if you have reason to care.
Also, I apologize for a problem I had with the recent post about The Society. Somehow I didn’t realize that the comments were set to paid only. I had intended for it to be for all subscribers. It’s now set to free for all if you want to comment.
Why should people care about things?
For many it seems obvious that caring about things is the default. After all, we grow up in a world where, if we're lucky, people care about us. Hopefully you at least have people to care about you, and someone who is worthy of that care. Even if you do, it's hard to figure out who might actually deserve it and who doesn't. It's a complicated process without very clear boundaries. So it's far from clear why that should be the case. Even if you accept the premise that people should care, it's hard to know what you should and shouldn't care about. There's so many different things to care about, from the people in your life to the place you live and the people you depend on to make sure that the world works the way you need it to. It can be incredibly overwhelming.
Things can get to the point where it just seems simpler not to care about anything at all. You can get along much easier if you don't care about the outcome of the people and places you see every day. Especially if your life is filled with things which don't seem to have any real importance to the world. When you do something as seemingly inconsequential as working at a movie theatre or perhaps a convenience store. A job like that can go away and no one except the few people who care about it will even notice that it's gone. Once you know that, it can really affect how you see the world.
Clerks is a perfect example of the way in which this view of the world can impact people. Dante and Randall, as played brilliantly by Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson respectively, have jobs and lives that in many ways doesn't seem that impactful. This is something that they know about themselves. Even though Randall has for the most part completely accepted this about his life, Dante has not. He believes that he should have something bigger in mind for the future. It's only towards the end of the film that Dante comes to terms with the circumstances he finds himself in.
Living this way is a difficult thing to come to terms with. You have to be willing to give up on many higher ambitions. Which isn't to say that the life is without meaning. When you come to understand the way you are, it can be somewhat liberating. To give up on the idea that you have to achieve more than what you have. This realization can be the path to happiness, if not achievement.
It's part of what makes the movie so compelling to watch despite the lack of major moments or gun fights or a consequential conclusion. Because so many people can relate to the way in which Dante and Randall live. Particularly given what has happened over the past few years.
Do yourself a favour and explore the idea of apathy as a way of life by checking out Clerks as soon as you can.
You can watch Clerks on Paramount Plus and Amazon.
Hmm, I've never seen Clerks, but this is an interesting problem. Where would you say the line is between apathy and stoicism? Is there one?
“When you come to understand the way you are, it can be somewhat liberating. To give up on the idea that you have to achieve more than what you have. This realization can be the path to happiness, if not achievement.”
Damn this is so good! You added a new perspective to one of my favourite films. Thank you!