For some time I've been feeling a bit depressed about the state of the outside world with all its horrors and brutality and inhumanity.
Then it came to me that actually I know next to nothing of the outside world. It's so complex and intricate and enormous that I can't possibly know more than a minute fraction of it.
I might think I know all about (for example) climate change or the polar ice cap or deforestation but I'm kidding myself.
Even what I do know is mostly what the media tells me. And that's often highly suspect. Firstly they only tell us what they think is important, secondly they put their particular slant on it, and thirdly they sensationalise everything. Which means even that tiny bit of knowledge is very unreliable.
So what I refer to as the "outside world" is either a heavily filtered media offering or my own mental picture of the outside world. Neither of those is anything but a sketchy idea of the real thing.
In which case feeling depressed about the outside world is irrational because I'll never have a complete picture of it, and I'm therefore feeling depressed about something that's mostly unknown and unknowable.
So I should stop feeling depressed about the "outside world" and save my dejection for something manifest and tangible.
Simples!
Absolutely. As this is our election year, we are bombarded with so much fake news. I’ve been researching both national and local political ads, where they say the opponent did this or that. Every single claim, both parties, is based on a tiny kernel of truth with the rest being false. Both sides lie and it makes voting impossible.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Politicians just lie routinely. Most of the time It's impossible to know if they're telling the truth or not.
DeleteNo impartial media any more...and precious few outlets for anything but the 'party line', so one does doubt what one reads or hears. I do try to find the alternative voices - in the full knowledge that they have their own agendas - and my background question to most of the claims is 'who is making money from this?'.
ReplyDeleteFly: More to the point, who is donating to the political parties and what do they expect in return?
DeleteI don't think I know enough about that stuff to feel any type of way. When I want to know more about something I end up researching it so I know what I need to.
ReplyDeleteMary: And the more you research, usually the more you need even more research!
DeleteThere's an outside world? :)
ReplyDeleteLinda
Linda: So I've heard.
DeleteI guess I feel I know quite a bit about some of these things. I know that not much of anything is being done about climate change by any country. I know the political system in the US is set up to relient on honesty and good of the country, not taking in the fact that this is not necessarily the human way for very many and it isn't working. I also know when people start to think you cannot trust anything, which is the intention of mis/disinformation, ensuring the public trusts no one or any institutions, they win.
ReplyDeleteSandra: Yes, too many people no longer believe in honesty and the collective good. It's a dangerous situation. Likewise, as you say, too many people have lost trust in the institutions. November 5 could be a turning point for the States.
DeleteNot only for the US, but for the world. He's dangerous.
DeleteNick, I'm surprised about your statement.To consider the medias as suspect and non reliable is in my country the discourse of the right extremists. I'm sorry there are still a good number of serious newspaper and medias, it always depends on what people are looking for. We lived on the 5 continents and believe me if you open your eyes and ears you will see and hear a lot of the outside world. Closing the door and stay in ones "comfort line" is not the solution but of course a personal decision.
ReplyDeleteHannah
Hannah: The media may be more trustworthy in other countries, but here in the UK they're less so. Some papers are quite openly right-wing (the Mail, the Telegraph) and others quite openly left-wing (the Guardian, the Independent). Also 90% of the UK-wide print media is owned and controlled by just three companies so editorial independence can't be assumed.
DeleteI'm not saying one should ignore the outside world and hunker down in one's comfort zone, only that getting depressed about what's going on is maybe an over-reaction to situations I'm only vaguely informed about.