So much to be upset about...

[hazerfazer]

I can't stand hearing all about the murders, etc... that go on so often in the world. It hurts me so much - it makes me think "why should I even care about this world when so much bad is going on?", and makes me worry that I may too do terrible things. How do I develop the right relationship to this issue...how do I develop my response to be sensitive but intelligent, confident, and hopeful?

[Jill]

This may sound facetious, but my advice is to not watch or read the news.

[Abundance]

One way to start is by not letting those images into your life in the first place. You can consciously choose not to listen to, watch, read the news, tv, films etc which cover those topics & are upsetting for you.

Whilst you may not be able to totally eradicate all information in these areas, you can certainly minimise the degree to which you are exposed to them & hence the amount of focus that your thoughts are giving to them. If someone else around you is watching a depressing/ violent film/news etc try going into a different room, put on headphones & listen to your favorite music instead etc.

Try placing your attention on films, programs which are the opposite - those which make you feel better, happier, music that uplifts you etc.

Sharyn

[Dharma]

Originally Posted by Jill

This may sound facetious, but my advice is to not watch or read the news.

Great idea. I haven't watched the news for years and I still find out about what I need to know. This is a good first step.

[da1prophet]

It's a simplistic answer, but its important to keep in mind that most news outlets--particularly the local news--focus on the "bad" news because that's what generates ratings. It's like a mass media version of rubbernecking at a traffic accident. In today's world there's no excuse for forcing yourself to watch, listen or read anything with such a negative perspective. Friends are always asking me if I've heard about a particular news story, and usually I haven't. Yet I'm better informed than all of them because I focus on what I consider important and that adds value to my life personally and professionally. I watch Bloomberg and CNBC for financial news and I'm always telling friends that if something in the world happens that's important enough to be reported there then I'll hear about it. Otherwise it's of minimal importance. I also read the Wall Street Journal for the same reason, and get news on my hobbies and other interests from specialized websites online.

Additionally, its important to focus on doing your part toward making the world a better place which is much more productive, emotionally uplifting, and generally beneficial than just fretting about the negatives. I'm a dog lover, and nothing makes me more depressed than hearing stories about abused dogs, or the millions of dogs killed each year in shelters. So instead of just being miserable about it I do something about it--I give money to charities that rescue and adopt dogs. I talk to as many people as I can about the importance of spay/neuter, and adopting dogs from shelters and rescue groups. Over the past ten years I've rescued more than 20 dogs, either adopted into my home or placed with other loving homes.

So bottom line--don't subject yourself to media that reports negative views of the world around you, and focus on proactive steps you can take to make the world a better place. That's my best advice :-)

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by Jill

This may sound facetious, but my advice is to not watch or read the news.

Nothing facetious about it--there's very little reported on the local and national news that has any real impact on our lives. If its important to you to know about what's going on the world in certain areas--political, economic, social--then get that information from specialized sources. I haven't watch the local news or national network news in years. I watch CNBC/Bloomberg for financial and market related news because its important to me professionally and interests me personally. Focus on the information that's important to you--with the advent of cable TV, satellite TV and radio and the Internet there's no reason you have to subject yourself to negativity or a world view not in concert with your own.

[joshbickford]

You are focusing on the wrong stuff. Spend some time looking for acts of kindness, and moments of people sharing, giving and love. There's as many of those out there as there is bad ones, too bad for the world the bad news is what sells, so it's what gets on tv.

If you'd like I wrote about this exact subject on my blog, about choosing what you focus on in a bad bad world.

[minnie]

you know, I had a similar issue - I thought, the world is full of misery and horrible things, why would God let these things happen?

And then I decided, if there's bad news in the world, there must be good news too!

Go here: Good News Blog

And go here: Good News Network - What's New

and also here: Positive News - Reports on People, Events & Influences that are creating a Positive Future

Read about all the wonderful things that are happening in this world, and maybe then you'll give the world another chance. And when I read the good news, it gave me a deeper understanding of why bad stuff happens in the world too.

Take care, and lots of love,

- Minnie

[Mark Lapierre]

Wow, thanks for those links Minnie! It's heartening to know there are news services which focus on something other than whatever is most sensational (and usually negative)

I haven't had a TV or read a newspaper or listened to the radio for years. I haven't gone looking for news for a long time, apart from technology, science and other specialist sources. Yet I still hear about all the major events of the world, or things that happen locally, through many social avenues.

And as da1prophet said, there's a part you can play too. If you do what you can to make some positive impact in the world you'll be making others feel better, and that will undoubtedly make you feel better too!

As an illustration, recently we've had lots of train cancellations due to defective brakes on the trains. As a result many of the remaining services are even more packed than usual, resulting in many upset commuters. I heard that one girl decided to try to inject some humour into the situation this morning by saying, while standing sardined amongst many other passengers, "Sorry, I don't usually shove my breasts in someone's face until the third date." No doubt that got quite a few laughs and disrupted a few negative trains of thought. Who knows what positive carry-on effects that might have had.

The world is the way it appears only because we let it be that way.

[da1prophet]

A lot of it is a matter of perspective. Here's an example--not long ago here in my home town the Humane Society came across a severely malnourished and neglected German Shepherd. An adult German Shepherd should weigh somewhere between 80 and 100 pounds and this dog was right around 35 pounds when he was found. I'm a huge dog lover, so it would be easy to view this negatively. What kind of person could do this to a dog, and what kind of society is it where such people exist?

But here's the "rest of the story"--our community has taken this dog to heart. Vets have donated medical care, dog trainers have worked with him free of charge, and businesses have donated money and whatever other resources they have available. An outdoor advertising company donated some billboards to raise awareness. A loving foster home has taken the dog in while he returns to health. He's put on some weight and is doing well.

So what I get out of this story isn't that there are awful people in this world capable of such depravity, but that there is an entire community full of loving, caring people willing to do what they can to help. There has always been evil, twisted people in the world but I'm heartened by the fact that they're outnumbered by caring and loving people.

Humanity shouldn't be defined by the few people who do bad things, but the many people who do good things. Reporting on them may not get the ratings up on the local TV news, but it is what is *really* important...

BTW, here's the website detailing the story of the German Shepherd named "Rocky" and his recovery:

Save Rocky

[Lychee]

Don't let the negative circumstances get to you. Becoming negative yourself will only perpetuate the cycle. Look at the events from a positive point of view or if you can't do that, control the amount of news in your life.

[Mitalp]

Def. stop watching the news, like everyones been saying. And everyday, make a list of what your thankful for and all the positive things in your life. You start to see how much postivity there really is in the world. I mean, we could be doing better as a society, but it's not as horrible as the media glorifies it. Once you shift you focus to the positive, you'll see what "the point is," and the though of you participating in something negative, won't even cross your mind.

Mital

[trekr5]

minnie

Thx for the links! I've been looking for this

[Future's Origin]

I can easily get sucked into that hopeless feeling too. I almost feel obligated to know about these things in detail. I mean hell, people are actually living these atrocities, I can at least put up with the discomfort of reading about them. There is one specific image of a man in the Congo who was mutilated that is forever scorched into my memory. I eventually realized that all this was doing was making me more pessimistic and feeling more like what I do couldn't possibly matter. From what I now about the media and who controls it, I think that feeling is sort of what they are going for. They want you to feel overwhelmed and small because it makes you less likely to take action. It's important to realize that what is on the news is a mere fraction of what is actually happening and the violence is disproportionate to what is actually occuring. But these thing are occuring, so I still watch mainstream media. I also like to keep up with how people are being socially conditioned. I just supplement it with good news as well. I still see that man in my head sometimes, but now I try to use that image to make me feel thankful instead of feeling despair.

[dpgiffin]

So many people suggest not reading the news, but no one mentioned steve's experience with this. It's not the exact the same thing as what you're experiencing, but it might help

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/200...ews-addiction/

[Liara Covert]

We always have a choice about how to perceive things. We can be positive or negative. Attitude begins inside us. Choose to be influenced by information all around you or learn to step back and see it for what it is. Realize that anything you hear about in "news" is simply someone's opinion about what is important at a give time. Images are shaped based on what newscasters wish you to see and feel.

Ask yourself why news broadcasting agencies often have different daily and even hourly headlines. Networks compete based on which station can offer a story about the most shocking incident or tragedy. Shock value often builds audiences and thus boosts ratings. As you learn to see through such systems, you may learn not to permit it to affect you in the same way. Did you ever see the film, Broadcast News? That is an example of how editing behind the scenes can include an enormous amount of manipulation. What people think is emotional also sells advertising time or sponsorship dollars.

Once you realize that people use news to try to manipulate your emotions, you can learn to desensitize yourself from media images. This doesn't mean you ignore world conflicts or crises entirely, but you can obtain information from varied sources which would enable you to be more objective and less negative overall. I would encourage you to learn to decide what you consider is worth your time and attention. Your priorities evolve based on how you understand images are manipulated to manipulate your perception and values. I think its especially interesting to consider why you think an image is sad or beautiful.

If you're interested in manipulated images, take a look:
Dove