indifference
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indifference
A state of disinterest, apathy, and lack of emotional involvement toward people, things, or events.
Seine völlige Gleichgültigkeit gegenüber ihren Sorgen verletzte sie tief.
His complete indifference to her worries hurt her deeply.
The word is derived from the adjective 'gleichgültig' (indifferent), which consists of 'gleich' (equal/same) and 'gültig' (valid). The idea behind it is that everything seems 'gleich gültig' (equally valid) to a person, meaning it has the same value, from which the meaning 'disinterested' developed.
Ihre Gleichgültigkeit war nur eine Maske, um ihre Verletzlichkeit zu schützen.
Her indifference was only a mask to protect her vulnerability.
To express what the indifference refers to, German uses the preposition 'gegenüber' with the dative. The structure is: Gleichgültigkeit gegenüber + person/thing in the dative.
Er zeigte eine erschreckende Gleichgültigkeit gegenüber dem Leiden anderer.
He showed a shocking indifference to the suffering of others.
Common verbs used with 'Gleichgültigkeit' (indifference) are 'zeigen' (to show) or 'fühlen' (to feel). The noun is often intensified by adjectives like 'völlig' (complete), 'kalt' (cold), or 'absolut' (absolute).
Sie stieß bei ihren Kollegen nur auf kalte Gleichgültigkeit.
She encountered only cold indifference from her colleagues.
lack of interest
Desinteresse mainly means that someone has no interest in a topic or matter. Gleichgültigkeit places more emphasis on a lack of emotional involvement: the outcome is not important to the person. In their behavior, the two states can look similar.
Seine Gleichgültigkeit gegenüber der Entscheidung zeigt, dass ihm ihre Folgen egal sind.
His indifference to the decision shows that he does not care about its consequences.
Sein Desinteresse an der Entscheidung zeigt, dass ihn das Thema nicht beschäftigt.
His lack of interest in the decision shows that the issue is not on his mind.
