It's OK to Look Away
Taken too literally don't look away is bad advice.
In the 21st century, we can see every incident from every angle.
We're confronted with AI fakes and articles heavy on spin and light onnuance or balance.
All of this is presented with a side of manufactured context and analysis, cooked up by a botnet and delivered via comment spam.
If we didn't look away, we'd never do anything but be anxious and angry.
Our cognitive and emotional systems don't stand a chance if we don't control our attention. Before you check any media sources, check with yourself. Are you prepared to deal with what you're likely to see?
Is the information important for you to see? Is it actionable? Does it change what you can or should do?
Reading more news doesn't help.
I know I've told myself that if I just knew a little bit more, I'd be able to convince someone who doesn't believe. I can make a difference that way.
It doesn't work like that. Spend too much time as a passive observer of tragedy far away, and you'll miss your chance to be prepared to help your own community. In times like this, there's a good chance hard times will find your community.
How much detail do you need? You know the stories. Most of the time, skimming headlines is even more than you really need on a day-to-day basis.
Don't look away means don't ignore a situation.
The key is understanding the entire situation. It's changing your perspective from focusing on things beyond your control to what you can do to prepare for any hard times that may come your way.
Put on your own mask first. Focus on building personal resilience.
Put your time into connections with real people in your own neighborhood. Like-minded people who are going through the same thing. And then, collectively, you can figure out how to be prepared. If hard times do come to your community, and when they do, you'll know who to turn to.
Action is the cure to anxiety.
Feed your future by focusing on how you can make the most of your time now, not bingeing on news that feeds your fears.
T
