Twenty percent don't care and eighty percent are secretly glad

I've heard the saying that twenty percent of people, ranging from strangers obviously, to close friends and even family members, really don't care about your problems, while another eighty percent are secretly glad you have them. I've always wondered if that is true to an extent. Maybe not from a literal standpoint, but I do believe that a lot less people actually care about us or our problems than we think as people in general.

Where the hell did you hear that? I don’t really expect or need many people to care about my problems though. They have enough of their own. I stick to family and friends.

Oh same here. Unless they are friends or just people with similar experiences like on here, I don't burden people with my problems. Even my family doesn't know about a lot of stuff about me in terms of my social life and how I feel. And I heard that saying from other people and just on the internet in general. Apparently it is a proven fact that twenty percent don't care and the other eighty percent are secretly glad you have them. If that really is the case, then there is really no point in telling others, even close friends, what I may be upset about or venting.

Um that’s 100%, and given that people here clearly care, it is by default innacurate.

Uh nope! That is in no way that is a proven fact. It’s internet psychobabel click bait. No there is absolutely no scientific empirical way to measure what people care about. And there is no scientific way to know what people are secretly glad about. You are not doing yourself any favors by taking this flawed pseudo fact and come to the conclusion that there is no point sharing your feelings with friends.

Oh okay. Makes sense. Yeah I always questioned that expression.

Oh I know, I never fully believed it. I do believe that a lot of people do care but at the same time, you must be careful.

The only thing I believe is that most of your social media friends could care less about the things you post.

Yeah I agree.

Alas, rdgrad, there's some truth to that idea. Yes, some people don't care and some are glad. But it's inaccurate to say that nobody cares. Some people do care! I think we need to remember them, so we aren't so cynical.

I read that study.... It wasn't that they were just happy because we are struggling or are wishing that we struggle; it helps others feel a connection and more of a sense of relief is what the study found to know they have something in common with someone else.

I totally agree.

Oh okay, didn’t know that part. That makes sense that it could be the case as well.