If I Had Never Read a Newspaper, Never Watched The News...

[MrPlum]

...How much happier would I have been?

I recall a survey showing that those who read newspapers were less happy than those who don't. Since, according to Howard Beale (from the film 'Network'), only 3% of Americans read newspapers, there must be a lot of happy bunnies in America.

While I can get addicted to the transient news of the day, I realize that there has to be a psychological effect of all that negativity. Pessimists or 'pragmatics' have their worst fears confirmed every day.

I don't recall ever seeing a murder, ever witnessing a car theft, a rape, Zombies at the cemetery, 'Jaws' at the beach, A 'Psycho' in my shower, global warming in my garden, bombs dropping on my neighbour, the 'sky falling.'

Is it really the smartest thing to do to allow all those negative messages and images into our brains? On the basis of rubbish in, rubbish out, we all spout a lot of crap while actually believing, with passion, we really know the truth about something.

I am long past trusting the words of political leaders, for instance and judge them by their deeds. I don't trust the newspapers, TV News. Everything in that world is suspect. What a way to live!

As a result I deliberately drop off the radar for months at a time, to give myself a mental enema and my antagonists a break. Life is a lot less complicated and happier.

I guess I'm just admitting.... I am full of s**t. But in my defence, would ask....

How can you not be?

[hhfarang]

Very profound MrPlum!

[sandman67]

(sound of gavel banging down)....clonk clonk clonk

Motion passed!

Now ...... who fancies a spot o fishing?

Incidentally Mr P....y wanna be careful talking all that sense....from what I see from history all the good people who talk too much sense get shot, hung, blown up or nailed to bits o wood
_________________
What, me....the 13th Duke of Wimbourne, alone in a town full of nubile young ladies....with my reputation? .....Tally ho!

"To sin by silence makes cowards of men"

[Wanderlust]

Or so we are told, sandman....

[MrPlum]

[Dawebo]

I have to agree about the news, however i think watching the news on TV is worse again than reading it in a newspaper. most news chanels now dramatise whatever his happening for effect and ususally the situation seems a lot worse than it actually is.

take CNN's reporting of what is happening in thailand. i'm not there now, but i was there for a day or two during the coup 2 years ago. a day or so later i was watching the coverage on cnn in another country, and they had totally blown out of all proportion what was actually going on, on the ground.

for the last few year, i by and large try to avoid wathcing the news in my home country. particularly witht the slowdown in the economy now, the news canels is making it look like the end of the world......