You Have The Right To Have No Opinion.
You Have The Right To Have No Opinion.
Secure your own face mask before assisting others.
Current affairs are downright terrifying, maddening, devastating, and perplexing. While I may not have any particularly insightful contributions to the ongoing discourse, I do want to touch on a general point.
In today's climate, we frequently find ourselves bombarded with distressing or shocking news from around the globe. We're often compelled to quickly assess incomplete information, identify who is in the right or wrong, and declare our allegiances both vocally and publicly.
Take, for instance, a devastating incident involving police gunfire. Within hours of the tragedy, we categorize ourselves into factions, assess the fragmentary information available, decide which side to endorse, and begin publicly championing our chosen stance on social media.
We can easily become ensnared in this cycle due to the countless daily tragedies occurring worldwide. With unprecedented access to information, those who seek outrage and anger will find an inexhaustible wellspring of distressing news to consume.
I'm as culpable as anyone in this regard. However, when I faced depression last year following the deaths of my friends, I observed that participating in the divisive activity of taking sides on current tragic events exacerbated my already fragile mental state.
For me, the focal news event at the time was the conflict in Ukraine. I was already descending into a dark spiral of depression, exacerbated by grief that I had yet to properly identify. While grappling with my own volatile mental health—marked by palpable feelings of guilt and grief—I was also continuously exposed to the relentless stream of tragic and miserable reports emanating from Ukraine.
I yearned to make sense of the tragedy, to comprehend the incomprehensible. I wanted to neatly categorize the individuals involved as either "good guys" or "bad guys." The uncertainty was too uncomfortable—I needed to know where I stood. I wanted:
An enemy to direct my anger toward and hold accountable.
A team to support, so I could declare my allegiance with conviction.
Had I been in a stable mental state and not grappling with depression, perhaps engaging in this "news-sport" game would have been less harmful. But the reality was different. I was clinically depressed, burdened with anxiety, plagued by sleepless nights, and addicted to the constant flow of news.
“Secure your own mask first before assisting others.”
I was fortunate enough to have a moment of clarity, realizing that my incessant consumption of news about the Ukraine conflict was detrimental to my mental health. I took immediate action by initiating what I termed a "News Diet," deliberately distancing myself from the news and politics to focus solely on things within my control.
This news diet had a profoundly positive impact on my mental well-being. In hindsight, it's hardly surprising; common sense suggests that if someone is already struggling emotionally, immersing them in a continuous stream of distressing news is likely counterproductive.
I'm not advocating for a universal disengagement from current events. Nor am I suggesting that people should be so self-absorbed that they only care about their immediate surroundings. What I am saying is that it's essential to secure your own well-being first, as a foundation for helping others.
If you are struggling with mental health issues, consider shutting off the news and tuning out for a while and see if it helps.
As the stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius said: "You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone." Or the quote from Epictetus: "People are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them."
I know that what I am suggesting seems terrible to many of you. Ignore the news and ignore the tragic death of others? That would have been unthinkable to me two years ago! Hell, I may have even seen it as evil and immoral. I thought that every person had a duty to weigh in on these issues and decide which team they were on.
But do we? I’m not so sure anymore. I am not so sure that every person must have an opinion on every tragedy in the world.
But one thing I’m certain of, someone that is not in a good mental health situation should absolutely not pollute their clouded mind with additional negative images that will only serve to make their mental health issues worse. That just doesn’t make any logical sense.
Turning off the news proved to be one of the most significant steps I took to enhance my mental well-being. Initially, disengaging from the "Sport of News," where I had regularly chosen sides to support or oppose, felt challenging. I was distancing myself from a community I had identified with. However, what I hadn't initially considered was that by abstaining from choosing a side, I was also avoiding the creation of adversaries who held differing views. While I might have sacrificed a sense of belonging to one group, I was also refraining from isolating myself from the other. In essence, I was opting for neutrality, simply staying out of the fray.
Now I have adopted a policy a little more like this beautiful quote:
"Choose your battles wisely. After all, life isn't measured by how many times you stood up to fight. It's not winning battles that makes you happy, but it's how many times you turned away and chose to look into a better direction. Life is too short to spend it on warring. Fight only the most, most, most important ones, let the rest go." - C. JoyBell C.
Just remember, you always have the right to have no opinion. And when you’re struggling with mental health issues yourself, do not take on the struggles of the entire world. Secure your facemask first before assisting others.
Don’t forget: My writing is a reminder for myself, not a lecture to others. I hope you enjoyed this weeks article. I love hearing from you. Reply to this email, comment below, text message me, or call anytime. Your feedback means the world to me.
A Personal Note About My Birthday.
As I celebrated my 43rd birthday on October 9th, 2023, it provided an excellent opportunity for reflection on the past year. While I intend to offer a more comprehensive review of the year's events, today I'd like to highlight a couple of cool recent moments.
On my birthday I took the oath of office to become a trustee of the Haslett Board of Education.
Last week, Saddleback won the Greater Lansing Business Of The Year at the Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards from 517 Magazine. It was a beautiful night with a lot of friends and family in the audience. Check out the amazing video below.
