Media and the Flourishing Life

It seems to me that when we take in the news through newspapers, books, movies, tv, or internet without being aware of its affect on us, we put ourselves at risk of developing a skewed view of the world which can lead to pessimism, cynicism and hopelessness. It can be so subtle that we don't even know its happening. And this is less than desirable when creating a flourishing life.

The headlines in the news usually comment on something that is negative about humankind: killings, crashes, abuse, etc. this creates the appearance that all that is going on in the world is negative. It creates the general message that most other human beings are to be feared and are not to be trusted. It also creates the general message that human beings are generally less than noble in their intentions. Although these negative events are true and we need to be selective in who we trust, it is not the whole picture.

I believe that most human beings have a nobility which they want to develop, that we are basically kind and good. But without positive environments to support this, how do we bring out the best in ourselves and each other?

Well, for starters, we can start being selective about the media to which we subject ourselves. So how about watching "What the Bleep do we Know" instead of "True Blood" or reading a book that is uplifting story instead of a crime novel. We can start searching for media that highlights the positive in humankind. So, if anyone out there reading this knows of a good newspaper or newsletter that publishes good news, please type in a comment to this blog so we can spread the goods news too.

Until next time, Johanna

www.johannavanderpol.com