I don't know about the rest of you, but I am very tired of 2020. I imagine the rest of the world is exhausted by the pandemic, but here in the U.S, there is so much more that is exhausting. The ongoing, endless race for the presidency, racial injustice, and oh yeah, we're going through a pandemic as well.
At times it feels like we have no power over these huge issues affecting our country, but of course, we do. Some of us are door-knocking and writing letters. Others are speaking loudly through protest, and others are bravely working the front lines of our pandemic.
I believe we always have power. The key is how we choose to use that power.
Last week's letter about dignity and compassion is an outcome of my endless exhaustion with the news cycle and our American brand of crazy. It sounds hopelessly naive, but I can't help but wonder how our world would be different if we treated all people with dignity and compassion?
In a world where we can feel so powerless, we must choose to have an impact where we can- where we work and live.
<stepping off the soapbox now>
Here's what I'm reading this week, which, no surprise, ties in nicely to my earlier thoughts:
"I was raised to believe that the news is good for your development. That as an engaged citizen it's your duty to read the paper and watch the evening news. That the more we follow the news, the better informed we are and the healthier our democracy. This is still the story many parents tell their kids, but scientists are reaching very different conclusions. The news, according to dozens of studies, is a mental health hazard."
Humankind: A Hopeful History - Rutger Bregman
"The double-edged sword of giving everyone a microphone means that we’ve amplified the voices of dissent at the same time we’ve given people a chance to speak up about their desires. This means that mass culture is far more divisive than it ever was before, and it also means that bubbles of interest are more likely to be served."
I Hate This Restaurant - Seth Godin
"We need to be aware of what mental processes we leave on the “default factory-setting.” I suspect that one of the keys to self-awareness and of managing filter bubbles is the self-recognition of exactly what you are defaulting to — what your assumptions are, how you get information, where you do not engage in a specific process to reach a conclusion, but rather, simply rely on the sea of noise we find ourselves in."
Understanding The Appeal of Conspiracy Theories - Barry Ritholz, The Big Picture
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