Appreciating the effort. The tsunami of doom. Exploiting anxiety. Understanding each other. FOMO. Mental bandwidth. The sound of silence.
Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind.
Be led by the dreams in your heart.
— Roy T. Bennett
1. “Respect the effort”
Life is hard. Remember to live it well – Bernardo Stein – (Blog)
A short essay, written “after going through one of the worst events I could’ve gone through at this point in my life”. It contains two related and important concepts. One, that life is hard, and there’s really no way around it.
The second is more personal.
Take the time to appreciate the effort that other people put into what they do.
Life is hard for everyone, each in a unique and sometimes invisible way. Sometimes the effort is much larger than might be apparent from the outside.
Do this: Appreciate.
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2. “You don’t have to do more than you are able.”
It’s Okay to Take a Break From The Tsunami of Doom – Marlene Kern Fischer – (Marlene’s Substack)
It’s been overwhelming. Seriously, if you care about … well, so many things … the news out of our federal government is absolutely terrifying, especially if you’re in a marginalized community. We all want to do something, and we all feel like we should be doing something, but it’s exhausting.
Sometimes it’s too much. We have to know when we’ve reached our limit.
And it’s okay to take a break when you need to.
I’ve heard the “put your own mask on first” advice being applied to the current situation, and it’s not wrong. You can’t take care of what needs taking care of, if you first can’t take care of yourself.
Do this: Know your limits.
3. “A myopic contest of who can best exploit peoples’ anxieties”
You Can’t Post Your Way Out of Fascism – Janus Rose – (404 Media)
Social media, or our own ability to post opinions and even information online for the world to see will not save us. In fact, it’s probably making things worse by fooling us into thinking we’ve done something and don’t need to do more.
… when it comes to addressing the problems we face, no amount of posting or passive info consumption is going to substitute the hard, unsexy work of organizing.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from the previous takeaway, if you’re capable, take action. The article has examples, but the bottom line is organize with other people to do things, not post things, to advance the change we all want to see.
Do this: Organize.
4. “We don’t understand one another as well as we think we do”
Don’t Make Small Talk. Think Big Talk. (gift link) – Arthur C. Brooks – (The Atlantic)
If you’re even close to being an introvert (<raises hand>), the concept of “small talk” is frustrating, and generally something to either be avoided, or simply suck at. The concept of “big talk” — more substantial, meatier discussions — sounds lucrative, but borderline terrifying.
Arguably, the foremost reason that conversations are difficult is because we don’t prepare for them or work to get better at them.
Brooks discusses some of the ideas from the new book “Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves”, which includes concrete steps for those deeper discussions.
Meaningful discussions are a worthwhile goal for many reasons. Like any skill it’s something to be worked at.
Do this: Look for, or perhaps make, deeper opportunities.
5. “A fear of missing out is what drives many of us”
Five Reasons to Replace Your Doomscrolling With a Hobby – Emma Palmer-Cooper – (Greater Good Magazine)
Be it global politics or local drama, we seem fixated on social media “just in case” there’s something we might miss. And yet the ramifications of missing just about anything are typically non-existent.
While it might feel like doomscrolling helps you to stay informed, research finds that this habit often results in considerable psychological distress. This ultimately leads to lower mental well-being, poorer life satisfaction, and reduced engagement at work.
The alternative proposed by this article is to spend more time with a hobby that engages your brain. It doesn’t really matter what it is, just something that you can focus on for extended and relaxing periods of time. For example, for some time I’ve been trying to prioritize reading more (and maintain my list as both record and incentive).
Do this: Get (or re-commit to) a hobby.
6. “Mental bandwidth taken up by politics is unavailable for anything else”
What’s Taking Up Your Mental Bandwidth Right Now? – David Cain – (Raptitude)
I certainly hadn’t planned on a pseudo-theme this week, but the items crossing my path and grabbing my attention seem to have conspired.
Where are you spending your energies right now?
The mind doesn’t ask your permission before attending to something – it will simply grasp what seems salient. However, you can change what it tends to grasp by curating the inputs.
One way we can attempt to control our attention is by attempting to control what we consume. Cain outlines an experiment where he plans to avoid most discussion of political events. That means pulling away from most all social media and sources of news. (And before you react with a “but he has a social obligation” argument, he discusses that as well.) It feels extreme, but it kinda makes sense in the context of mental health and focus.
Do this: Curate your inputs.
#focus #mental-health #politics
7. “People have become afraid of silence”
Quiet, please! The remarkable power of silence – for our bodies and our minds – Sam Pyrah – (The Guardian)
I know people who cannot stand quiet. They have their TV on all day long (and often all night long) as background noise. The soundtrack of their life, I guess.
“Ever since the Industrial Revolution, noise has been synonymous with productivity and progress,” says Hempton. “In all the clamour, we have forgotten the value of quiet.”
The value of quiet. Stepping outside in the recently fallen snow is one of my indulgences. It’s quiet, and as a result I can hear things that are normally hidden by the normal noises of the day, including myself. The essay discusses the health effects of both excessive noise (bad) and periodic silence (restorative), and how the latter is more difficult to find than ever.
Do this: Seek out some true quiet time.
Random links
- A guide to using Signal for government workers – Applies to more than just government workers. Recommended.
- Don’t Believe Him | The Ezra Klein Show – Analysis and hope.
What I’m reading now
- A Little History of Philosophy – Nigel Warburton
- Siddhartha – Herman Hesse
- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff – Richard Carlson
- The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century – Steven Pinker (audio)
My Reading List – everything I’ve read since 2021.
My Sources Page – the common sources I scan/read regularly.
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-Leo
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