It's time for me to go on another news-fast. I’m overwhelmed by the relentless horror that is ISIS, Boko Haram, about national and international crimes against women, the never-ending news of corporate and political greed that leads to environmental destruction and to the worrisome changes in our food systems, the increase in the number of antibiotic resistant infections, loss of wild animal species and the cruel treatment of domestic animals, and on and on. It’s too much.
Am I the only one that
needs to take a break? The only one that needs to turn away for a time from the
bad news? To avert my eyes? No, I don’t think I’m alone, but why do we do this?
Sometimes the news is just so horrible that we just can’t comprehend it all. It’s
unfathomable. We can’t make sense of it. It seems unfixable, we feel so
small and we’re frightened by it. Is this denial? I don’t think so.
Unquestionably, it’s easier to talk about the smaller, more hopeful things that
are going on. In fact, it’s important that we talk about those things as a way
of reassuring ourselves that there is still good in the world, that there still
are good people in the world, and to reassure ourselves that we’re going to be
ok. At times when the world feels a little too shaky, I think it’s ok to turn our
focus inward, to look at the smaller picture for a bit and search for beauty,
to focus on the things that are good and give us hope, and to work on making our
little corner of the world a little bit better. At some point though, when we’ve
had a respite from all the bad news, we need to look more closely at those
things that scare us and threaten us. We need to speak up and do what we can in
order to increase awareness. This is the
only chance we have of making change happen.
10 comments:
I agree.
http://monddo.blogspot.fr/2015/01/et-maintenant-que-faisons-nous.html
You're totally right. I think many of us wonder where the world is going to...
i get depressed when I watch the news, but it's good to be informed. But it's still depressing - the world is changing but I still believe there is a lot of good out there - it's harder to find and appreciate but it's out there.
I try to stay away from the news!
This is just me...and I may have my head in the clouds but I have never watched the news. I can't handle the media's portrayal of life on the planet, because there is such an emphasis on chaos and troubles, and little focus on the good that is happening. While all social problems need to be dealt with, I don't find that the news does anything to deal with them. I actually have a prayer I say daily, "May all beings in all the world be happy." I find this helpful. But yes, the sadness and hopelessness is really overwhelming.
i believe as soon as one becomes more mindful, less numbed by circumstance, one turns off all crazymaking details in one's life, because then we have the strength to do so. the radio is on in our house, and often i switch that one off as well. all the rest has already gone (papers and tv). silence is a good start to my inner peace. or else a bout of loud music will do the trick, but then i'll chose the record.
i don't think i deny the world's cruelty either, i just don't see the sense in carrying a load i cannot change, because it is so out of my league... we should not begin to feel guilty about the bad in the world, and we can but spread the good. and standing our ground in small areas does work... n♥
i'm with you, Bev.
i keep it in the middle with watching the news, because there is also good things happening in the world and I rather focus on that!
I have no television and find it difficult to type in news sites opting for blogs and Pinterest instead. My news comes via Facebook from friends making comments or leaving articles to read. I find it difficult to read the news. I Get some in from BBC and NPR radio when driving. But I am left fearful when I hear bad world news constantly and my only remedy is to shut it out. I do t watch horror films much unless campy and can never watch those programs on murder. I'm too easily disturbed. But blogs really make me happy!
I so agree with you.
I don't watch the news constantly though and I do believe there is a lot good things happening in the world too, but it does not sell as well as the bad news.
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