Notes to Self: News Fasting

Note to self, execute on media fasting: Just like we need to watch what we eat and put into our bodies we need to guard on what we consume for our minds.? Today’s news media is junk food for the brain.? Empty calories that do more damage than good.? One is better off intentionally abstaining from consuming news.? Instead of spending time on latest outrage or click bait one is better off immersing in the great timeless knowledge. Read the classics and absorb time proven wisdom.? This will develop a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the world, fostering intellectual independence and critical thinking. As the saying goes show me the top three media sources you listen to, and I can guess your opinion on many topics. One question to ask yourself what ideas do I hold that disagrees with the orthodoxy of the media sources I listen to?

The news, sensationalized and hasty, skew perceptions, triggers anxiety, and creates a false sense of constant doom. Detox from the constant barrage of information and, instead, focus on thoughtful reflection and deeper learning. This makes the world look very different.? Daily news gives the illusion of knowledge and education. It simply provides superficial and context-deprived information, which lacks the necessary depth to understand the complexity of world affairs. If a certain topic is key for you to understand to have impact on, deep dive into historical context, read the opposing viewpoints, build the steelman and focus on solutions that are proven on the ground with data and real-life impact vs. opinion pieces by talking heads.