In addition to whatever problems we’re grappling with as individuals, news reports constantly remind us that there are serious problems in the larger world beyond our daily routines. It’s proverbial in the news business that “no news is good news.” This refers to the tendency in human psychology to pay more attention to reports of dangerous, harmful, scary problems than to cheery reports that everything is OK.
In this era of 24-hour news (thank you, Ted Turner—or maybe not) it’s easy to overdose on bad news. Some people respond by tuning out the news entirely, or at least severely limiting their intake of news.
Ripley quotes journalist Krista Tippett, who, I believe, nails the problem, saying: “I don’t actually think we are equipped, physiologically or mentally, to be delivered catastrophic and confusing news and pictures, 24/7.”
That sounds to me like a form of shell shock or PTSD—not in terms of severity, but in terms of human beings not being equipped to endure a repeated bombardment by jarring stimuli.
If backing off from consuming news reports will reduce the stress you feel and let you enjoy life more, then, by all means, cut back as much as you need to. I am not recommending that any citizen become oblivious to major issues and challenges. I am not recommending that anyone block out the news completely.
We should be ever-mindful of Thomas Jefferson’s timeless wisdom that preserving a free democratic society is possible only when there is an “informed electorate.” The challenges facing our country won’t go away by being ignored.
We can, however, find a healthy balance. We can and should be informed enough to vote intelligently and to recognize which political candidates may deserve our support. But at the same time, let’s not lose our joy or our zest for living.
Our free society gave rise to explosive improvements in standards of living. Our unprecedented affluence expanded leisure time for millions of people, producing a wide array of comforts, attractions, activities, and enjoyable recreations, and opportunities to undertake fulfilling challenges.
Are there serious problems in the world? Of course. There always are, always have been, and always will be. Here are a few of today’s issues that we need to remain alert to:
Globally, unenlightened throwbacks such as [Vladimir] Putin and Xi [Jinping] just don’t grasp the awesome potential for peaceful coexistence in the 21st century.
Without a doubt, we need to identify threats to our rights and freedom, and to find effective ways to defeat those threats. A minority of Americans today may find it’s their vocation to work full-time to defend our rights (bless you!), but at this stage, at least, most of us should combine support for our freedom fighters with enjoyment of the daily life of being free to pursue our happiness. We don’t want to become a conservative version of the lugubrious left.
They steadfastly seek reasons not to be happy. Progressives have chosen a forlorn life as full-time malcontents. Let’s not make the same poor choice. Our proper response to the down-in-the-dumps doomsters is to be happy, to enjoy life, to be grateful for our many blessings, and to love our country—and, yes, to chip in from time to time with prudent political involvement.
The great need for each one of us is to find the right balance in how much news we “consume.” Let’s be aware of the larger issues at stake, but let’s also refuse to give up the joy of daily life in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”