Noise
There's a lot of noise circling around us, distracting us from our purpose. Have you noticed? And the main source of that noise is the evening news. On a daily basis, we are assaulted with "big headlines," "breaking news," and images of conflict that sometimes seem too bizarre to be true. The death of bin Laden, the capture of Whitey Bulger, the Casey Anthony trial, and more natural disasters than the world has ever seen before. It all builds up to so much noise in the head that there is a true danger of implosion.
So how do you stop the noise? How do you watch the news and remain compassionate? How can you avoid becoming de-sensitized while simultaneously distancing yourself from it? I don't know about you, but I have always been an empathetic person. I really feel for other people and I mean that in a literal sense, in some cases. You know that expression, "worried sick'? Yeah, I do that. So sometimes, watching the nightly news can be a real strain on my psyche and my body. Yet, as a writer, I don't want to stop watching because some of the best ideas come from this source.
What about you? How do you react to the big news stories that are constantly assaulting us? And do you have any advice for me on how I can distance myself without de-sensitizing myself? Would love some input!
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9 Moonbeams (comments):
This is an important question, and one that I think the majority of people are losing the battle with.
I think if you have a innate sense of compassion and justice you will remain that way. Although in today's news-by-the-second world, becoming a bit desensitized might be inevitable.
Fellow PumpUpYourBlog member.
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
I stopped watching the evening news many, many years ago for this very reason . . . all bad news, all the time. Local news is rife with stories of people killing one another, crime, children drowning, etc.
I watch headline news once in a while, and listen to NPR news on the way in to work, so at least I keep abreast of national and global developments.
Honestly, I don't watch the evening news and haven't for a long time. Much of it is complete nonsense that I have no interest or time for in the slightest. I pick up the major news stories online but I seriously have no interest in learning about famous people, who is cheating on who, who's being abused, who's doing drugs or anything else like that. No impact on my life in the slightest and much of it is a smoke screen to keep people from seeing what's really happening.
Thanks, Karen!
JW and Ellen,I think I might be headed in that direction myself. Thanks for the input!
I, too, rarely watch the news. I stopped as soon as my kids got old enough to understand it. I read the newspaper on Sunday and it gives me a brief look at the weekly happenings without all the gore, hoopla, and media hype.
Great post. I go through phases...I'm very empathetic too, so I just know that when I'm in that ultra sensitive zone that news is out of the question. I'll take a few extra bike rides or play games with my daughter. The news isn't going anywhere so I don't feel like I'm missing anything. :-)
I don't think I've "met" anyone who admits to being as sensitive as I am, so it's good to know I'm not the only one out there! I guess it is important to take breaks from the news, huh?
I don't think I've "met" anyone who admits to being as sensitive as I am, so it's good to know I'm not the only one out there! I guess it is important to take breaks from the news, huh?
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