How do you be aware of major issues in the world and locally without becoming deeply depressed and cynical?
How do you be aware of major issues in the world and locally without becoming deeply depressed and cynical?
As someone in the US it’s so easy to see so many depressing issues from the ravages of capitalism, to war, imperialism, and genocide. How can one care about these issues and hope for change without allowing themselves to be affected mentally?
I’ve been considering this for the past week, connecting it with Buddhist compassion towards the world and a need for mindfulness. But it’s so easy to fall into emotionlessness.
I’ve also thought through the world has always had issues and though some are getting much worse some are getting better.
I have gone to counseling before but they just make it an individual problem when it’s the world.
Edit: doesn’t have to be US centric. Just I’m writing from that pov
One answer could be for you to learn and practice philosophy alongside your learnings of world news. In particular, stoicism and stoic philosophy can allow you to watch these external events and consider them as they are, but with the understanding that these things reside outside of your control which preserves your feelings and self from being affected by them. It really brings more power to you through anything you go through or experience.
Philosophers Who Addressed This Question
1.) Albert Camus
• Work: The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)
• Argument: Camus argues that life is absurd, meaning it is full of suffering and chaos without inherent meaning. However, he suggests that one can resist despair by embracing life with defiance and by finding meaning through action and creativity.
• Example: Camus likens human existence to Sisyphus, who is condemned to roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down. Camus proposes that we must “imagine Sisyphus happy,” finding joy in the act of persistence itself rather than in outcomes.
2.) Martha Nussbaum
• Work: Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions (2001)
• Argument: Nussbaum defends the idea that emotions like compassion and anger can be powerful motivators for justice but need to be tempered with rationality and self-care to avoid burnout. She advocates for a philosophy of practical engagement, where one maintains emotional investment in the world while creating boundaries to protect one’s mental well-being.
• Example: Nussbaum might suggest that instead of being overwhelmed by global problems, you focus on one specific issue you can influence—channeling compassion into tangible actions.
3.) Viktor Frankl
• Work: Man’s Search for Meaning (1946)
• Argument: As a Holocaust survivor, Frankl emphasizes the importance of finding purpose even in the face of suffering. He argues that meaning can be found in how we respond to suffering, whether through action, creativity, or how we endure hardships.
• Example: Even when facing immense global crises, Frankl might suggest asking, “What specific actions can I take to create meaning and contribute positively, no matter how small?
One person cannot fix every problem in the world. But you can do your part.
Yeah for me the inescapable fact seems to be that humanity is currently facing a series of somewhat existential crises (climate change, looming authoritarianism, a global pandemic etc.) and we've utterly failed to meet each one by backsliding into selfishness and idiocy. With climate change especially there doesn't seem to be any fixing or avoiding it now, it's just a matter of how bad it's going to be, and a lot of predictions seem to be pointing towards "worse than we thought."
So I dunno, for me the logical response to that would be depression and cynicism. We knew it was coming, we had every chance to avoid it, we didn't, now we're fucked.
The cure for grief is action. Go to a DSA meeting, join a mutual aid society, volunteer at a community garden. Help out at a food pantry. Put the values you believe in back into the world.
Build community locally, spend time with friends and family cultivating relationships, do something generous for someone else, volunteer for a charity or activism, build an interest in a creative hobby that exercises your imagination. Follow your curiosity and our common interests in discovery and exploration through education and experimentation.
Let someone curate your news for you and don't doomscroll. I suggest PBS Newshour or one of the three major broadcast news programs.
I've blocked as much news out of my life as I can manage with the exception of some financial news. That includes blocking all the news communities on Lemmy. Things still slip through, but I also push myself to just ignore the bits that I still see and move on with my life. I'm much happier as a result. In terms of being aware of big news, if its a big enough deal, the fine folks here at Lemmy will create memes to let me know.
You know you're going to die right ? How do you deal with that ? Philosophically, Stoicism has some of what I need for coping.
I'd also suggest that journalism is mostly interlectual trash that clutters your mind. Really important events will find their way to you.
An example, I'm not an American (i did live there back in the mid 1990s, before I relaised it wasn't for me) and I will likely Vote Green until I die. I'd prefer a livable biospbere and little better treament of minorities. Others prefer the opposite but their entreaties to get me to think their way won't work so why would I bother listening?
Journalism isnt really about reporting "news" but selling advertising.
Get involved in direct action in your community. Linking up with an org or group that does real community service and solidarity can help prevent you from feeling helpless and falling into that depressive spiral.
Help at a soup kitchen, provide homeless care kits, work a food/clothing drive, work with a crew to clean up gang tags from walls, pick up litter, build bird boxes, etc.
Seeing your community get a little better can do a lot for your mental health.
Remember that dispite the horrors of our species, we have accomplished some pretty incredible things. Just 200 years ago, we were still putting leaches on people and not washing our hands before performing medical procedures.
Now, we use microscopic lasers to correct blindness, cure certain types or deafness by implanting magnets into skulls, we can deliver and grow infants that are born several months too early to full term with minimal complications, and we can treat scores of diseases that would have been a death sentence just 200 years ago.
The Capitalist scum would have you believe that nobody would have done those things unless they made money doing it, but that's a lie and projection. They wouldn't have done that if it didn't make them money, because they are evil and without empathy.
But they don't represent the human spirit, what we are truly capable of when we work together for the common good.
The greatest accomplishments of our species aren't when we compete and fight each other. The greatest accomplishments happen when we cooperate with each other. Don't let the rich and powerful convince you otherwise.
It's indeed very difficult and my take is that the system wants us like this. To be depressed, full of fear and hopeless. Mainly of course through media.
What I considered one solution to fight back this is to discuss current events, solutions etc with a group of similar minded people. I don't mean join a cult etc. No far from it. But finding people with same concerns by openly discussing them will bond them into bigger groups and this helps a lot. Gives a sense of fulfilment and hope.
No fear. Act.
You raised a very good point that I did not realize until now. In the past 8 years we actually stopped talking about politics to others, because it became so polarizing.
We absolutely need to talk about politics if we want to keep democracy. Hardliners likely won't be converted, but at least, as you said, we should talk to like minded people.
Also, there's indeed no point to worry about things outside of our control, and worry about things we can affect. Threat the things that happen, that we can't control more as an obstacle that we have to deal with. Also support people who might have control and fight (governors, congress people, lawyers, judges, government employees, etc) so they know that aren't doing it for nothing.
Correct. Also have in mind the all political sides, lefts, rights etc are all the same wearing different masks. True change comes from the base, from people, not from politicians placed by the system for people to vote. The base, the people when discuss and propose the most fit person to represent them , this is true democracy.
Agreed! I get this with my Unitarian Universalist church community. UUs don't require anyone to believe a certain scripture, but we have a shared set of principles, like valuing democracy, science, and nature. The community aspect and music program are great by themselves, and our minister's sermons have been a great source of motivation to keep fighting for what we believe in.
I’m in love with Stanford Beer and his saying “The purpose of a system is what it does”.
So yes, if most of us are depressed and anxious then that is what the system is for.
Join a political party that aligns with the change you want to see. Also belonging to a few leftist orgs to effect your local city.
If your a right winger then sorry its a case of living with that low mood.
I look at it as it's going to get worse. Guaranteed. But, as long as I can stand up and be ready for the people who are going to be persecuted when they need it. Helping my local community. Just maybe I can make a difference to the people around me who need it.
Donating and volunteering works great.
Don't fall into doomerism - news companies are companies, and negativity gets people on their platforms for much longer than positivity, it's easy to get addicted to it. Set time limits or limit the amount of news you consume per day/per week.
Recognize that caring about something requires mental energy - if you had 1 friend who asks you to care about their hobby or learn a bit more, then you might agree, but if you have 20 friends with different hobbies asking the same thing, then there's no way you can care about all of them. Similar thing applies to the news, recognize that you can't care about everything and try learning how to stay informed without giving up lots of mental energy stressing about things you can't really influence.
It's admirable wanting to keep up with the news, but it also can be a bit of a trap and does require a degree of skill to not fall into what you describe in your post.
That's the neat part, you don't.
Right? I’ve never believed that depression is a brain chemical issue. It’s an issue of being aware of the true nature of the world and species.
Edit: Take your pills the fancy drug dealer prescribed you for your “depression” and break your dicks. Numb yourself up to it all and live your best life, man. I don’t give a fuck. I drink, so it probably isn’t much better. Heh. Sorry I struck a nerve, but my perspective on this matter isn’t changing in my lifetime. This is the same industry that used to electrocute and shove ice picks into your brain. Now they do it with chemicals. Still just clueless throw shit at the wall and see what sticks nonsense that will never solve the real problem.
I wanted to say there is some truth in what you're saying but the more I read, the more clueless you sound. Depression is real, and drugs that fuck your sex life up are probably worse. I have a lot of bad days but good days, good art, and a well placed joint help. Just because a lot of the current understanding of depression is flawed or wrong doesn't make it a fake made up condition. You probably aren't depressed if you can say that. Being the kid who was always super sensitive, would cry for hours, and getting really sad just thinking about something briefly are all things I experienced which prove to me that depression is real. No one else in my family was suffering like that. And I could say I was of higher intelligence and that's why, if I wanted to jerk myself off like you're doing, but the truth is it's a lot more complicated than that.
Reading through all the other doomposts I felt obligated to share my view.
I read national/international news every day, and I'm still optimistic about humanity's future.
First off, I don't bother with local news at all. That really is just a cesspool of crime reporting. My dad summarized local news pretty well: "someone was murdered today, and heres some footage of blood on the pavement."
As far as national and international news goes, I read it because I think it's interesting and it's good to stay informed, but you can't use it as a barometer for how the world's doing, because news is just inherently negative. It doesn't mean the world is actually doing bad!
Which of the following do you think would get reported as a headline?
"Indonesia enjoys another year without a tsunami"
"Thousand killed as tsunami ravages Indonesian coast"
"Global poverty rate continues slow, steady decline"
"Millions at risk of starvation as African crops fail"
"Good news, no new deadly infectious diseases this year"
"Scientists raise alarm over spread of bird flu"
I think maybe it's helpful to think of the news not as objective reporting on the state of the world but rather like a police blotter that just logs bad things that have happened. And I think it's perfectly fine to tune it out and just live your life. If you're interested in a particular issue, like homelessness or an election maybe look at a less sensational information source like Wikipedia or something.
Also, just a little mini-rant: the two types of people who are most negative about the state of the world are religious missionaries and leftists. Because in order to convince you that the world needs a savior they have to convince you that we aren't on a path to do it ourselves. So, maybe steer clear of news on Lemmy as well haha
Kinda sad to see the local news comment. I'm not sure if there's just a really bad local news station by you or there's some preconceived notions floating there, but you're more likely to remember the reporting of a death versus Grandma Martha's award winning plant that got recognition.
If you have other techniques for staying up to date with local and state events please share them, people need to be involved with local more than national (both are important, statistically you impact local more though). I have a couple of local news stations that I follow with their online postings. I feel it's important to comment and discuss on those because the only vocal people seem to be extremists on there, people need to see that there are like minded people nearby so it's not so weird to think differently to them.
I'm also confused by your religious missionaries and leftists comment, are you including the right-wing with religious? I can't argue that everyone doesn't push the whole savior narrative, just not sure why you singled out those two groups and left everyone else out lol.
The reason I singled out leftists is that over the last couple decades, in the ideological struggle between socialists and capitalists... the capitalists pretty much won. There are are still some holdouts around the world but in general leftists are left on the outside looking in as the capitalist-led world grows more prosperous (and lots of bad things too, I'm not trying to play it off as capitalist good socialist bad). But in their position, all leftists can really do is criticize the status quo. And, again, there are plenty of valid criticisms to make, but because they are removed from power leftists can't do very much "look at the good things socialism is doing," it's 99% "look at all the bad things capitalism is doing". At least in the US/Western Europe.
The right-wing can at least say things like "the economy is doing well" and "technology is advancing due to [Company]'s breakthrough" in between fear-mongering about immigration.
I stopped using social media so much, the internet is moved by clicks and panic content gets them, but I find it overwhelming.
Simple: I'm just naturally deeply depressed and cynical, so there isn't a big difference
born of it, moulded by it...
We are each just one person. We can't save the world, and it would be unreasonable to carry that burden.
But we each can save a small piece of it. A kind word here, a forgiving of slights there, and work in some patience & understanding for others.
Little things can make waves. And if Six Degrees of Separation remains true, your little deeds affect more people than you realize.
Compassion fatigue is a thing. You can try for some Buddhist state of Nirvana that would likely take a lifetime to pursue... Or you can start curating your input. Stop doom scrolling, look for positive science news and the like. There's plenty of positivity out there still, it's just not algorithm friendly.
I literally don't understand people having kids in this "climate". That's how cynical and hopeless I feel about humanity's future.
I wouldn't want to inflict that... The heat, the natural disasters, the risk of nuclear wars. The genocides considering multiple were or are active at any point (Palestine, Syria...). The fall of journalism...
Many things I discuss with my friends but nobody could ever dream to fix. So all this shit stays with you. And seeing how our politics are reacting to climate change, this is lost. Because everything else is pointless if you don't have a place to live.
I'm only one person. I cannot fix all of these problems because these problems have to be fixed by a collaborative effort through a unified group to make anything we want work. I did what I thought I could by voting, I did what I could by spreading the message with my own voice about the things I know with what I saw going south in this country. But again, I can't fix everything.
So, I can't worry about things I have no power in fixing, as much as I'd like.
One thing I do — and it sounds like you may have tried a version of this — is take media breaks (social media included). Go camping, read fiction, play video games or whatever floats your boat. You’ll almost always find that nothing major has changed and you were just dwelling on things beyond your control.
I’m not saying stick your head in the sand and pretend nothing is wrong. I’m more saying you can keep just as informed without wallowing in the news slop.
Communism.
Act to change it and be at peace mentally knowing that you have dedicated your life to the struggle and you have done all you can.
Watch the telly. Television tends to keep people somewhat informed but apathetic.
If they'd make people actually feel the horrors of the world, then people would stop watching. They know this so what they do is deliver it all in a way that promotes apathy. They do show you things but structure it so that the implicit message is: don't worry, do watch but whatever you do, don't worry, it's all fine, business as usual. "New report comes out, humanity is destroying the planet faster than ever before, biodiversity is plumetting [...] (jingle) there's a genocide going on and we are supporting it [...] (jingle) in other news: a baby panda was born at this zoo. [..] (jingle) now for the weather. . [..] (jingle) thank you for watching, see you tomorrow."
What you'll find is that despite you being somewhat aware of current events, most of the time it all feels like an abstract thing that doesn't really worry you. Seldom does anything you see on the telly push you to do anything. "Some important news just reached me through the telly, that means that I will now do so and so...", yeah right. I do nothing, maybe I walk to the fridge to get a soda, since ads do have calls to action. The news has a subliminal call to apathy. So I sit back down and continue to watch my entertainment.
Ignorance is bliss - dogs are the happiest people I know. We should all strive to be more like dogs.
To be really dumb?
The neat part is, you don't.
Heavily filter what you consume. Following all news is not the morally correct thing to do, and you can cut back on it.
I'm fighting against this by staying off all social media other than Lemmy. All my news comes from a small number of curated sources, and only in RSS feeds (so I get them in time order rather than bullshit news site headlines prioritisation). I use a lot of keyword filters on Lemmy and in my RSS news (Covid, Trump, Biden, most American news, anything that is meaningless to me is blocked before it can show up on my screen).
TLDR news is a particularly good YouTube channel. They have really well presented news and pick out a few important events to report on. I find that's more than enough for me for news consumption.
Easy, I was depressed and cynical before the election
Not for everyone but political activism is a good outlet, be it protests or volunteering to help the election campaign of the opposition when it comes round again. Make sure everyone you know lays the blame in the correct place when shit inevitably hits the fan.
Other than that, get off corporate social media, rage bait is the most effective content for driving interaction, corporate social media algorithms are designed to maximise interaction. You will always be shown the worst of everything on social media.
Similarly identify where your news is coming from and if it's coming from somewhere with a tendency to sensationalise. Cut anything like that out too.
It's important to be informed yes, but it's not essential to be aware of absolutely everything for most people, and if that's better for your mental health, you should prioritise reduction in consumption.
It's tough. Just keeping up with "trying" to be aware is a full-time stressful job (there's literally only so much time in a day to absorb information, some have less/more). That would be hard even if everything was awesome news all the time in a world so connected.
It helps to realize that it's always been this way, the world is a busy busy place. Everything going on, all the time, never stopping. It doesn't pause, you sleep and the world continues on without you. It's overwhelming, but kinda cool at the same time.
So for me, I take a step back with "mindfulness". It's just a word, but what you're going for is a feeling. For instance, if you've been on here a long time, turn off your screen for a minute and look at your surroundings. Don't let your mind wander back to the screen. Literally give your mind a second to realize you are just existing in a small space. Look at your wall and pick out a detail you haven't seen before, or a tree (anything to let your mind think about something else).
Take some deep breaths or stretch or feel your toes, there's lots of different techniques people use. But, you're going for the disconnected feeling. If you're breathing and still thinking about what's online you gotta refocus to your immediate area. That argument or event is not in your vicinity. You are not helping by stressing out over it. Don't be a fire-fighter who's in a firehouse worried about all the houses catching on fire.
You can compensate your mind's news addiction, by realizing you are better prepared to interact and absorb information online if you're more stable. At some point your cognitive mind is tapped out but you're still scrolling from habit, or you're less likely to get your point across with proper communication if you're not in your best mindset.
By just giving your mind a little room to breathe you'll start figuring out what you want to do with that time. Local organization, hobbies, chores, your mind will try to fill that void with something and you'll be able to hopefully choose something that helps your current overwhelming feeling. Fire-fighters check equipment, play games, shoot the shit, etc. They're still extremely helpful when the time comes.
From recent events I believe online discourse is an important part of society interaction. Look at the media attention over the CEO, instead of just demonizing him, they had to spend time trying to fight all the online support and looked like fools during it.
I get my news from here. If it is really important it will bleed into the periphery to places like this. My physical disability with social isolation makes this a best self health situation. The news is not real news any more, it does nothing to inform. It was changed to "news as entertainment" long ago.
This may have missed the point of your asking, but I wrote it so I'm posting it lol my apologies if it's not what your looking for:
I'm gonna advise a thought on what I had to do. I love being informed. But I reached such a level of depression and anxiety of the future that I had to do something.
So I stopped. I told myself it doesn't have to be forever, just a break. Took about 2 weeks of much less news consumption, forced myself to be brain-dead as much as possible. It led to a few conclusions:
The world turns. No matter what you do, ppl do insane shit. Taking a break for you doesn't mean stupid shit stops happening, but it makes it less the center of your world. You don't have to own it.
Life is about a lot more than what's going on in the news cycle. I have friends who never look at a newspaper, and they're far happier than I am overall. Just a thought.
The kicker - I still knew what was going on. The media milks a big story over days and weeks, so you can easily come back to your favorite website and pick it up quickly. Haven't missed anything that I could have changed regardless haha.
A great comment I saw a while back: put down the phone for a few days, and you realize it's still 2005 outside. The world is boring, but blessedly so. For your health, let it be 2005 for a bit.
Now, I just read the headlines unless something really grabs my attn. Reading the news makes many problems that aren't yours a you problem. Overall, I've realised it's the little things that make life better. Do the little stuff - help in your community, give the homeless guy a fiver, call your mom, ask the cashier how her day is (and genuinely care about her answer). If you're up for it, maybe then undertake some of the actions other ppl are suggesting about political action, volunteering, etc.
You can't pour from an empty cup, my friend. Take care of you first and the world becomes a little better ☺️