4 ms·

> Turn off the news and you’ll be much happier. Rather, be informed and watch whats happening with a critical mindset. Ignorance may be bliss but its also irre

> Turn off the news and you’ll be much happier. Rather, be informed and watch whats happening with a critical mindset. Ignorance may be bliss but its also irresponsible.

ScoobleDoodle 5y ago
I’ve been thinking of splitting the difference and looking at news once a week. I guess that’s like the traditional Sunday newspaper. Now I think it needs to allow for exceptions for events like now with Russia invading Ukraine.
- Tijdreiziger 5y ago
  I installed NOS's (the Dutch public broadcaster's) app on my phone and turned on push notifications. This way I get informed about important news, but can easily avoid everything else.
  - Beltalowda 5y ago
    Why don't you just travel in time and get the news from the future?
    - Tijdreiziger 5y ago
      Sorry you got downvoted, I thought it was a funny joke. (Joke explanation: my username is Dutch for 'time traveller'.)
      - Beltalowda 5y ago
        It's just internet points :-) I knew most wouldn't get the joke, but that was part of the joke.
- mrfusion 5y ago
  On the contrary your whole goal should be to avoid the exceptions.
- CyanBird 5y ago
  Just read Lemonde Diplomatique Cut NYT, CNN, The Guardian and all the rest, you'll be happier and will be better informed
  - MobiusHorizons 5y ago
    Thanks for the recommendation, I’ve been looking for long form news.
  - Godel_unicode 5y ago
    I'm extremely skeptical of any suggestion to get your news from only one source, what do you think makes that source different?
thatguy0900 5y ago
The irresponsible thing is a whole industry bent on demoralizing and causing hate within the masses, ignorance might be less irresponsible
Beltalowda 5y ago
I don't think "the news" is actually all that good at informing people. "This happened and then this happened, and now for the weather" are facts and information without context, and without any real meaning. I haven't watched the news for years, or read the newspapers. I do real articles from magazines and newspapers and books and such (from HN, among other places), which are far more useful. I don't really know what's going on in Ukraine right this moment, but most will have forgotten that in two weeks time anyway, so what's the point? Instead I spent some time reading up on the context a few weeks ago. The news is also strongly biased towards negative events. The classic example is that "plane crashed" is big news, but that planes are actually very safe. "Man spills pint and gets punched" is news. "Man spills pint and it's all fine" is not. etc. It's not a particularly good reflection of reality.
kortilla 5y ago
If you’re watching the news to be informed you’re still ignorant, but now unhappy and indignant about things you don’t understand.
bilater 5y ago
Agree but also disagree. This tweet captures it perfectly I think: https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1497943606962839552 https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1497943606962839552
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

> Turn off the news and you’ll be much happier. Rather, be informed and watch whats happening with a critical mindset. Ignorance may be bliss but its also irresponsible.

ScoobleDoodle 5y ago

I’ve been thinking of splitting the difference and looking at news once a week. I guess that’s like the traditional Sunday newspaper. Now I think it needs to allow for exceptions for events like now with Russia invading Ukraine.

Tijdreiziger 5y ago
I installed NOS's (the Dutch public broadcaster's) app on my phone and turned on push notifications. This way I get informed about important news, but can easily avoid everything else.
- Beltalowda 5y ago
  Why don't you just travel in time and get the news from the future?
  - Tijdreiziger 5y ago
    Sorry you got downvoted, I thought it was a funny joke. (Joke explanation: my username is Dutch for 'time traveller'.)
    - Beltalowda 5y ago
      It's just internet points :-) I knew most wouldn't get the joke, but that was part of the joke.
mrfusion 5y ago
On the contrary your whole goal should be to avoid the exceptions.
CyanBird 5y ago
Just read Lemonde Diplomatique Cut NYT, CNN, The Guardian and all the rest, you'll be happier and will be better informed
- MobiusHorizons 5y ago
  Thanks for the recommendation, I’ve been looking for long form news.
- Godel_unicode 5y ago
  I'm extremely skeptical of any suggestion to get your news from only one source, what do you think makes that source different?

thatguy0900 5y ago

The irresponsible thing is a whole industry bent on demoralizing and causing hate within the masses, ignorance might be less irresponsible

Beltalowda 5y ago

I don't think "the news" is actually all that good at informing people. "This happened and then this happened, and now for the weather" are facts and information without context, and without any real meaning. I haven't watched the news for years, or read the newspapers. I do real articles from magazines and newspapers and books and such (from HN, among other places), which are far more useful. I don't really know what's going on in Ukraine right this moment, but most will have forgotten that in two weeks time anyway, so what's the point? Instead I spent some time reading up on the context a few weeks ago. The news is also strongly biased towards negative events. The classic example is that "plane crashed" is big news, but that planes are actually very safe. "Man spills pint and gets punched" is news. "Man spills pint and it's all fine" is not. etc. It's not a particularly good reflection of reality.

kortilla 5y ago

If you’re watching the news to be informed you’re still ignorant, but now unhappy and indignant about things you don’t understand.

bilater 5y ago

Agree but also disagree. This tweet captures it perfectly I think: https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1497943606962839552 https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1497943606962839552

deleted 5y ago

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