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Status:
"Just livin' day by day"
(set 18 days ago)
Location: USA
3,166 posts, read 3,355,702 times
Reputation: 5382
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Only news I really care about is what’s happening in my community. Being exposed to the new 24/7 is mostly depressing and negative. If it doesn’t concern me or someone I care about, then I could care less. I never cared for politics, most of it is b.s. anyways
I think there are two different things here. Being grounded in reality, and being informed (accurately or not).
Watching the news all the time doesn't mean you are grounded in reality. It can help, but it can also hurt. Boots on the ground, people! Go outside, talk to people, visit another country.
I have found that the most well-informed people are often the most unhappy people.
I am vaguely aware of current events, and I vote in every election and familiarize myself with the candidates and issues.
But I have friends that are always following the "latest developments" on Twitter. The fact that so-and-so said x about a certain topic sends them into a tailspin. They have to breathlessly discuss the headlines every single day.
Honestly, most news really doesn't affect my day-to-day life. Now that I've pulled way back on this stuff, I'm much more content.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haksel257
I think there are two different things here. Being grounded in reality, and being informed (accurately or not).
Watching the news all the time doesn't mean you are grounded in reality. It can help, but it can also hurt. Boots on the ground, people! Go outside, talk to people, visit another country.
I think what people who pride themselves on being well-informed don't seem to understand basic human psychology. People just don't want to be bombarded with negativity 24/7. It really does eat away at one's mental and emotional health being constantly angry at society and the world. The world will never be exactly what we want it to be so the majority of our focus should go to managing our day-to-day lives.
Friend A: He doesn't listen to the news. He does enjoy sports and is deeply involved in his community OUtreach program. He doesn't pontificate about it. He simply does his thing and He by far is the most serene gent I've known. He works, is civil with people. But under no circumstances would I label him "in his own little world" since he does ALOT for our community. He just doesn't care for scandals, politics, or "noise" given some days.
Friend B- She is :Goes to work, comes home. Tends to her elder parent. That is her world, and every now and again, I go over to give her a bit of sanity. She deserves to know that people do care and that we (her endearing friends) know how her scheduling doc appointments , reading up on medical breakthroughs, or finding a sense of well being in her "little world" deserves support. I personally like her world. She doesn't give two beans about what style so and so is wearing or if the stocks went up. She has her priorities straight.
Friend C: Lives in the now. Understands the hardships of others and the triumphs of deeds well done. Has little desire to spar "intellects" , or reinvite the wheel.
Met a few that are so self absorbed....one guy left an impression...I need to thank him for reminding me of what I hope my sons never become. This guy Believed after 25 years of living (in his mind) a loveless marriage with a women who hated "men", (like he didn't hate women...) , he allowed his ego to get the better, He refused to divorce her...He was playing the "you say Uncle first"! . He took a gun and was going to do himself in. After all it was ALL her Fault that he was Forced to stay in the marriage. He then rants on how that night,he had a revelation...He was going to "Live for himself!!" ( in his own hedonistic world). He does divorce. Is court ordered to pay alimony. Then goes on to live A Sugar Daddy life. Pontificates how "intelligent he is" and How he makes money out the ying yang. Falls in "delusional" love with his 27 yr young sugar gal. He is 57. She doesn't Re-engage the contracted deal. She is out the door. He is devastated. Yet again another women ..breaking his heart. He CHOOSES to live that life, He chooses to demoralize what a genuine loving relationship entails. He Chooses to be a women hater. He pays them as a way to Keep HIM in control. He see's them as invested Objects to be enjoyed and or discarded. It's all for show. For him...Being in his own Little world is constant validation of how he can control his life and the people he pays to be in it. I say , Let him stay there. He isn't ready to deal with reality.
My ex: Did you know they're letting Muslims come here?
Me (not interested) : Is that so?
Ex: Yeah. And you know what they do to American women?
Me: hmm?
Ex: They go out in big gangs, and surround a woman like you, on the street, and then they start <assaulting> (not the word he chose) her and just one after another. THAT's what's going on out there!! Bet you wish you'd stayed with a man who could protect you, huh?
Me: Have you left the house lately?
Ex: No! I don't have to!
Me: Why do you think this is actually a thing that is actually happening?
Ex: <Right wing "news" site> said so. I know where to find the real facts. Not that lamestream media you leftie sheeples watch.
Me: OK then. *changes subject*
Look, it's not bad to take in information about things going on in the world. But if you think you can sit inside, and stare at screens, and be well informed about the world around you, and you never even bother to go out your door, walk down the street, chat with a neighbor, see that the sun's still coming up and going down, the breeze still blows, the birds still sing...your view of reality is likely to be a great deal more negative than what it needs to be.
Interestingly, in response to all this "world's goin' to hell!" talk, I looked up some statistics. When I was a kid, I ran wild in the woods all weekend. Little girl, all alone, no cell phones, be home when the street lights come on. Worst that ever happened, was the time I lost my shoes in the creek. This was in Northern Virginia, near DC, and the "creek" was a woodland area feeding into the Potomac river. We like to assume it was such an innocent time, and it would be scarier, more dangerous, to have an 8-10 year old kid doing that now. But the crime stats show, that both nationally AND regionally in that particular area, violent crime and abductions are a great deal lower than they were when I was a kid in the late 80's or so. It was in fact, more dangerous, at least statistically, back then.
So in trying to see beyond your bubble, don't forget to go out into the actual world now and then. You might be pleasantly surprised.
What I mean by that is, I've meant quite a few people who pay no attention to the news or what's going on in the world, they have no interest in it whatsoever. They won't even discuss it when it's brought up in conversation, the most you'll get is an answer like "Oh, I don't watch the news, none of it affects me" or "We don't discuss things like that" or "I don't care" or "I don't pay attention to things that don't effect me" etc. They're too wrapped up in their own lives and what they're doing and don't pay attention to the world around them, and only speak up about something when it affects them directly.
How do these people not see that what's going on in the outside world WILL effect them and their lives if they don't pay attention to the way things are going? And by the time it actually DOES effect them, it's too late to do anything about it. People like that are reactive, not proactive, the same type of people that would go "When did X change???". Well, it changed while you were stuck in your own little world and not paying attention.
I understand that you need to focus on you and your life FIRST, but that's different than focusing on you and your life ONLY. As I've said, some people can only see things from their limited POV instead of looking at the bigger picture.
I am one of those people who state I don't discuss these things with some people irl because they just want to spout off, go on a rant, show off how they think they are so well informed, are contentious and opinionated yadda yadda. Don't assume they don't pay attention, they may just not want to have a deep conversation with you.
I believe that we are all better off taking care of our own little worlds, compared to those who tilt at windmills, never realizing how vulnerable and how afraid of hemselves they really are.
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