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meaning - What is the difference between "don't care" and "don't mind"?


From an English Help Online blog post:



“don’t mind” sounds very polite and gentle. It’s like the person is saying “It’s ok with me.”; however, “don’t care” sounds stronger and it’s like the person is saying, “It doesn’t matter to me”.`



I'm curious: is it really just a matter of stronger emphasis, or is there more to it?



Answer



The way I have heard Englishmen say it, "I don't mind" was used only when the person using this expression wanted to express his moderate acceptance of the outcome of a situation. "I don't care", however, can also be used to express indifference and to indicate that the outcome of a situation has no significance for you.


This may sometimes attribute a negative connotation to the message using this expression, whereas—as far as I know—"I don't mind" does not bear a negative connotation. So "I don't mind" is replaceable by "I don't care", but not always the other way round.



Child: "Mum, can I go out and play potentially dangerous ball games like football or soccer with my friends?"


Mother: "I don't mind—the risk is worth the healthy consequences of sport, therefore I take notice and don't object"



OR



Mother: "I don't care—do what you will, your activities do not concern me, I lack authority to form an opinion or I refuse to do so."



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