Every news organization is selling fear, and we aren’t helping the situation.
It doesn’t matter what your political beliefs are, there are people dedicated to selling you fear. A few news organizations mix facts with fear, which makes them seem more credible. The truth is that we aren’t good at assessing risk, so we are afraid all of the time.
What are the top fears people have right now?
- Climate change
- Economy
- Social progress
I am not here to convince you of my beliefs. I am simply pointing out that we are being played by media organizations. We read the news because we are afraid of being caught unaware. However, there is very little that we can do. Other than voting and how we spend our time and money we are at the mercy of the most stupid among us.
Do not be misguided. The stupidest have always controlled the conversation. They won’t vote for something unless it directly benefits them. However, they also vote for something that doesn’t benefit them, since they think that one day they will become rich too. The exploited exploit others, and this means that we are all guilty. Some of us are more guilty than others. Those of us who don’t attempt to change the system, and help where we can, is the most guilty of all.
I don’t pretend to have the answers. The solution isn’t in feeling fear and anger, however. Educating the stupid doesn’t work. We have the greatest education of them all, the internet, and stupid people don’t want to be bothered to check facts. Indeed, they have their own “facts” and everyone’s view of the world is based on their emotional outlook not on something intellectual.
All my life I have been disappointed by the short-term thinking of others. The selfish, ungrateful attitude that says that I want as much as I can and to hell with everyone else. The path of selfishness is destruction, and it won’t be the other person who ruins our lives, but ourselves.