Interest and Disinterest

[DISCLAIMER]

When serving as military police while in the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps, assigned to Camp Kinser (1997-1999), I enjoyed touring Okinawa, Japan and sampling local cuisine. The above photo is an example of having fulfilled this desire (something longed for or interested in).

Regarding my desire, I had an interest, which the American Psychological Association (APA) defines as “an attitude characterized by a need or desire to give selective attention to something that is significant to the individual, such as an activity, goal, or research area.”

For context, the APA referenced “selective attention,” which it defines as “concentration on certain stimuli in the environment and not on others, enabling important stimuli to be distinguished from peripheral or incidental ones.” Additionally, one source thusly expands:

Interest is a feeling or emotion that causes attention to focus on an object, event, or process. In contemporary psychology of interest, the term is used as a general concept that may encompass other more specific psychological terms, such as curiosity and to a much lesser degree surprise.

Given this context, it’s worth noting that disinterest is causing one to regard something with no interest or concern (to have an influence on; marked interest or regard usually arising through a personal tie or relationship). With this clarity, I thank you for granting me a personal anecdote.

When eating at the above-depicted Okinawan restaurant, I had an interest in continuing my commitment to lifelong sobriety. Thus, I was disinterested in consuming alcohol. In common parlance, the latter term regards the phrase “I don’t care.” It’s an expression of indifference.

Another way of expressing disinterest is to say “I don’t think about it.” I now invite you to consider a political example of disinterest. Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump, who started the war of choice and aggression in Iran, thusly expressed his lack of interest for U.S. citizens:

Reporter: To what extent are Americans’ financial situations motivating you to make a deal?

Trump: The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody! I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. That’s the only thing that bothers me.

In his expression of disinterest, the president ostensibly admitted to his Make America Great Again and America First constituency that he has no interest in improving their lives. Rather, Trump apparently cares more about his own interests than that of the nation he leads.

When later given the opportunity to recant his lack of concern for the financial hardship U.S. citizens are currently experiencing in conjunction with Trump’s hostilities in Iran, he boldly stated, “That’s a perfect statement. I’d make it again.” Clearly, Trump is disinterested in the U.S.

As the late memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou helpfully advocated, when people show you who they are, believe them, because they know themselves much better than you do. Notably, Angelou didn’t express an interest in believing who people said they were.

Rather, she held an interest in believing who and what people showed you they were. The inverse of this rule is that one can be disinterested in the contempt for which Trump ostensibly has for U.S. citizens. Why else would one care for him when he’s disinterested in you?

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

References:

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Curiosity. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/curiosity

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Interest. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/interest

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Selective attention. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/selective-attention

Fox News. (2026, May 15). Breaking: Trump addresses Xi’s warning over Taiwan [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/7ib2ab_kDLI?si=AVZRqXaDcU2aq13Z

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