Avoiding things we dont want to read about

[Excel Expert]

Swissaw posted some stories this week which started a bit of a side debate about some people not wanting to read that kind of thing, while others do.

I can fully understand why some people would want to avoid reading those stories as they are upsetting. I can also understand why others would be willing read and debate the subjects raised.

So how do we avoid those stories we don't want to read or see?

There are stories I will do my best to avoid - I have not watched any business news programs in over 2 years, because they focus too much on the negative stories and that starts to effect the way I think. I avoid religious programming, news and debate because although I believe in everyone's right to a religion I'am an atheist and cant comment on most things religious. I avoid the tabloids and link-baiters like the Daily Mail because they make money from stretching facts in to a non-existent stories designed to wind you up.

My browser holds a very short list of trusted news sources that I will turn to should I hear about a story that interests me or I feel I need to know about.

I un-follow and un-friend people on social media who focus on negative things.

 

[Hedgie]

I think our nature can sometimes draw us to certain things. A bit like car crash TV. We don't like to read about harrowing details regarding disasters or murders for example, yet our curiosity gets the better of us and we end up reading stuff we wish we hadn't.

When it comes to religious or political stories then you have a very clear choice, read or don't read! If you don't like religion or politics then don't read it. We just have to appreciate that others may want to read such things and not try to get them removed or banned or whatever. It';s like the TV, if you don't like the programme then just turn over.

 

[MASSEY]

Religion is a difficult topic. While i accept that people can believe in a 600 year old man filling a boat with 2 of every species if it gets them through the day, i can't stand reading about muslims attempting to overtake 25 schools in Birmingham to please some non existent god. It makes my blood boil.

Not a great deal offends me though.

I have to pay the daily mail a visit at least once a day to catch up with what's happening.

 

[KM-Tiger]

I have to pay the daily mail a visit at least once a day to catch up with what's happening.

When are they going to rename it Pravda?

 

[Billmccallum]

for a start, avoid swissaw threads....

 

[UKSBD]

I have to pay the daily mail a visit at least once a day to catch up with what's happening.

For the titillation in the sidebar?

 

[Excel Expert]

Some really good points - thanks everyone

Hedgie - I think we have to override that attraction to disasters and car crash TV. Try taking a month out from watching the news and you will be surprised how quickly you get out of the habit and start to feel better. I personally think our own families and businesses provide us with enough worry fodder without taking on the worlds problems as well.

Massey - I dont believe religion plays any role in the governance of a school. A school is a place to encourage independent thinking. So while the situation in Birmingham is worrying (because of the underlying tone note that it is Muslim) I dont think we should have Muslim or Christian governed schools at all. Religious education should only exist if it is taught fairly i.e. the major religions and athiesisum (spelling?) is covered equally. Equal playing field for all religions and beliefs that way, whilst preventing schools from being pawns in a religious battle. That was allowed to happen in the states and they now have schools that will not teach evolution.

I find the Daily Mail and Fox News really handy for my business. I provide businesses with reports that give true clarity of their figures. I can pick up a Daily Mail or turn on Fox News and immediately point out how they are miss leading their readers/viewers by miss-representing the facts.

BillMcCallum - Some (ok most) of Swissaws posts are out there, but I always find he is up for a good debate about what he posts and those debates are usually entertaining and never overly heavy. I think he is one of life's natural eccentrics (which is not a bad thing)

 

[BelindaChong]

When are they going to rename it Pravda?

PRAVDA means TRUTH

I suspect that wasn't what you had in mind

 

[leemason]

I meet so many people who don't want to speak about anything that matter. This is what annoys me more than reading "upsetting" articles. There seems to be a cult of not saying or reading anything "negative". It's sad that people think that if the avoid anything negative this makes the whole World OK.

 

[simon field]

I don't understand how or even why anyone would want to avoid negative text.

It's balance, life isn't perfect and I'd much rather have light and shade than some nicey-nicey unreality thanks.

 

[Swisaw]

I don't understand how or even why anyone would want to avoid negative text.

It's balance, life isn't perfect and I'd much rather have light and shade than some nicey-nicey unreality thanks.

Ask Billmccallum.

They want to avoid negative things because they want to have an ideal world or they think they live in an ideal world. http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/members/billmccallum.71627/

 

[KM-Tiger]

PRAVDA means TRUTH

I suspect that wasn't what you had in mind

Err, yes I know.

It's called irony.

 

[Excel Expert]

I dont think shutting out some negativity is trying to live in a nicey nicey world at all, it is about protecting your own mental well being and being practical about the worlds problems that bombard us everyday. Let me give you some examples.

When I first started up in business I had a flying start and everything was going great. Then the economy collapsed and the news full of doom and gloom, which I took on board. So when my business started to slow down I put it down to the economy. 6 months later and my business was on its knees because I kept putting the downward slope of my sales to the collapsing economy. I took the mental decision to shut out the business news and instead concentrated on my own business. 2 months later I was back up to full strength.

The lesson there is it does not matter how much of a bad day a dodgy mortgage company is having, if Apple shares falls, banks get bailed out etc. Its effect on my life is totally negotiable. Reading about it changed the way I thought about my business for no reason at all.

This effect is basically how we talked ourselves into a double recession a while back. The papers were full of doom and gloom stories about how there was a double dip on the way. Businesses altered their spending budgets and a recession became inevitable.

Second example. Since the Kosovo conflict I have done a lot of humanitarian work in Eastern Europe / Balkans. I was on the ground during the NATO invasion of Kosovo, I've worked in the areas around Chernobyl and until Bulgaria joined the EU I was banned from the country because I was seen as a problem due to my campaigning against the way they treated orphaned and mentally ill kids. This is my chosen area of wanting to help the world.

When I watch stories like Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan unfold I get emotionally involved and want to help there as well. The truth is I don't have the time to take on so many causes. I focus on one area where I can make a difference rather than lots of areas where I cant.

I keep aware of those situations and lend advice to people working in those areas, however I dont follow it on the news. The news is sensationalist and focusses on the most sensational of headlines only.