Don’t assume it is “checking out” from society or taking the easy way out. The news will find you, don’t worry. Plus maintaining focus on your thing is something that can take significant effort.
I have noticed that the smaller I make my world, the happier I am. My free time goes into my family, friends, hobbies, and pets (which I guess is a big subset of the hobbies). I think a big part of the benefit is not just focusing on the people who can have the biggest effect on my life, but focusing on the people whose life I can improve the most with my involvement.
Our brains evolved to keep tabs on our clan or our village, not to monitor the events of the entire Earth in near real time, as if we’re going to do anything with that information. In fact, I think that “need” to be informed is often just an addiction manufactured by the need to drive engagement to validate 24/7 news as a business model.
Agreed. My self-critical side used to argue this was constructing an echo chamber for myself. But now I’m realizing that unless I’m going to completely refocus my life on deconstructing the first-past-the-post de facto two-party duopoly then I’m just taking on unnecessary anxiety.
Instead I figure as long as I’m still discussing my political or philosophical values on here those who do wish to pursue politics will have access to the statistics of what their constituents actually want (e.g. via LLMs focusing on political language). Whether we actually get such a leader is another question.
I was about to rebut the “visit the US” thing, but people really should wait until immigration no longer looks at peoples’ phones or social media. I think I can still refuse as a citizen on 4th amendment grounds, but until that’s extended to visitors, I recommend holding off.
I hate this fucking timeline.
I used to be a Halo fan, Microsoft ruined it.
I used to want to travel to the US, MAGA ruined it.
I used to have ambition for the future, a bunch of crusty old fucks ruined it.
I used to enjoy life. This incessant hatred and uglyness ruined it.
Find your thing, mute the rest.
Big wisdom in this.
Don’t assume it is “checking out” from society or taking the easy way out. The news will find you, don’t worry. Plus maintaining focus on your thing is something that can take significant effort.
I have noticed that the smaller I make my world, the happier I am. My free time goes into my family, friends, hobbies, and pets (which I guess is a big subset of the hobbies). I think a big part of the benefit is not just focusing on the people who can have the biggest effect on my life, but focusing on the people whose life I can improve the most with my involvement.
Our brains evolved to keep tabs on our clan or our village, not to monitor the events of the entire Earth in near real time, as if we’re going to do anything with that information. In fact, I think that “need” to be informed is often just an addiction manufactured by the need to drive engagement to validate 24/7 news as a business model.
Agreed. My self-critical side used to argue this was constructing an echo chamber for myself. But now I’m realizing that unless I’m going to completely refocus my life on deconstructing the first-past-the-post de facto two-party duopoly then I’m just taking on unnecessary anxiety.
Instead I figure as long as I’m still discussing my political or philosophical values on here those who do wish to pursue politics will have access to the statistics of what their constituents actually want (e.g. via LLMs focusing on political language). Whether we actually get such a leader is another question.
Feel this 100% as an American though.
I was about to rebut the “visit the US” thing, but people really should wait until immigration no longer looks at peoples’ phones or social media. I think I can still refuse as a citizen on 4th amendment grounds, but until that’s extended to visitors, I recommend holding off.