Ignorance or awareness?

[Somewowguy]

I can't stop thinking about all the bad things in the world, it's really starting to get to me.
I can't fully focus on something, I can't immerse myself in a game, book, or my guitar anymore.

I have become more aware of everything happening in the past few years, I am pretty much hooked on reading the news which is obviously the major problem here.
Is it simply a case of ignorance is bliss?

Even if I were to stop keeping up with the news, all the terrible things I have read or heard about have scarred my brain and I often think of previous events, I put myself in these terrible situations in my head, I wonder what I would do, I wonder how I can help.
I'd like to help the world if I could, I'm always wondering what are the solutions to all the worlds ills? But even my personal circumstances aren't great at the moment, I'm struggling to even help myself.

How can I turn off my mind to this stuff?

What world? The house you live in? The city? The planet? The galaxy? The universe? Keeping up with current events is important, but so is learning the history of how they unfolded. Id recommend some world history and astronomy. We'll never understand the depth and complexity of our own insignificance, but getting a little taste helps put things in perspective. Whether you believe in grand design or chaos, that ant you stepped on earlier and the massive sun you see in the sky are in the same boat.

I wonder if my pizza rolls are done...

[Knight Gil]

I can't stop thinking about all the bad things in the world, it's really starting to get to me.
I can't fully focus on something, I can't immerse myself in a game, book, or my guitar anymore.

I have become more aware of everything happening in the past few years, I am pretty much hooked on reading the news which is obviously the major problem here.
Is it simply a case of ignorance is bliss?

Even if I were to stop keeping up with the news, all the terrible things I have read or heard about have scarred my brain and I often think of previous events, I put myself in these terrible situations in my head, I wonder what I would do, I wonder how I can help.
I'd like to help the world if I could, I'm always wondering what are the solutions to all the worlds ills? But even my personal circumstances aren't great at the moment, I'm struggling to even help myself.

How can I turn off my mind to this stuff?

So you play the guitar? Write a song about it, or something.

(Not trying to be witty, I'm serious. If you worry about that kind of thing, try to focus it into something productive. The only thing that separates us from improving the world is an action. Inactivity leads to nowhere. Be the change you wish to see in the world)

[Powerogue]

Being optimistic isn't necessarily the same as being ignorant. People have clung to hope in such low times as being in a concentration camp during the holocaust.

You don't have to turn off your mind to anything, it's a matter of shifting your focus, rather than listening to news and acting like it's all that's going on in the world; even though news always tends to dwell on the negative to hold your attention.

[Haven]

What's the point in worrying about things you can't change?

[poser765]

Keep in mind that the news is is NO WAY representative of the rest of the world. The vast, overwhelming percentage of people are living lives free from violence and all the bull shit displayed in the news. The reason murders and rape are on the news is because of how extraordinary they are. That's is not the norm in the slightest. hell in 2010 the murder rate per 100k people was something like 4.5. That's 4.5 people murdered out of 100 thousand. lol That's like .000045%, that's absurdly small. I can gladly take my changes in that kind of world.

[Knight Gil]

What's the point in worrying about things you can't change?

You CAN change things. Just not by over-worrying. Having cold-blood gets you further.

[Ebildays]

I like the Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

or

This Friedrich Nietzsche quote

To live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in the suffering.

The world has always been a horrible place to live it is now because of technology we are constantly reminded of the horrors that are sometimes just a house away. What is worrying going to get you? What is worrying going to change? If you are really bothered by it do something about it. You don't need a lot of money to volunteer just your time and a little knowledge. I volunteer with teens at the library, most of the time is deals with anime/manga but I do crafts as well or talk to the librarian to find out what she needs. For the most part it cost me nothing but a little time and energy. For me I know that every time I do something with my teens I can reenforce good behavior and not make them feel strange or odd for liking "cartoons" at their age. If I have extra money I can buy them manga to donate as a prize or food to help host a party for them for doing something good. I may not be changing the world but I am changing their world, hopefully for the better.

[bekilrwale]

I'm aware of all the horrible things out there, I just don't care in the slightest unless it directly affects someone I know. Apathy seems to be working pretty well for me, but I don't know if it is something you can force yourself to feel, you either care or you don't.

[bugzilla3]

There's a cougar town episode that talks about that exact issue haha

[Pull My Finger]

Apathy and ignorance, of course, are for assholes and unknowledgeable people. But you're really obsessed with bad news and the problems of the world. Comes either from fear or a feeling of guilt, or both.

[Haven]

You CAN change things. Just not by over-worrying. Having cold-blood gets you further.

To a certain limit, yes. However, you can't change human nature, the fact that greed, lust and fear direct the mankind. Just accept it and be above it all.

[Gandrake]

I can't stop thinking about all the bad things in the world, it's really starting to get to me.

If all I ever did was think about how terrible and cruel of a world this is, I'd probably kill myself.

Glorification of serial killers etc. and sanctimonious prick kids on message boards are the top reasons why I do not keep up with the news, and if I do, it's just to read the article or watch that particular bit. Even then, there are just some things I will flat out refuse to read, look at or think about, because I know I'll get angry about it.

If you find a way to help the world, then good for you. I hope it all ends well. But I dunno, to me, that just sounds like a very overwhelming task. I don't think I'd be able to make a difference on the scale that I'd imagine.

But how do you put it out of mind? Well, there is no real magical way to do it. You just decide it costs too many fucks and energy to afford sitting there and being angry about it. I don't feel any less about it, but I cannot afford myself the ability to keep thinking about it. Takes up too much time and energy, and if that wasn't bad enough, the time and energy do not procure anything useful.

[Knight Gil]

To a certain limit, yes. However, you can't change human nature, the fact that greed, lust and fear direct the mankind. Just accept it and be above it all.

There is no such thing as human nature. DNA plays a role on how you turn out to be only so far. Education and culture is where it's at.

Greed, lust and fear direct the mankind because in such a society, those things are perpetuated. It's a vicious cycle that never stops feeding itself. In order for those things to change, the cycle must be broken. How? No damn idea. Impossible, perhaps. But I firmly believe that's how it is.

[Haven]

There is no such thing as human nature. DNA plays a role on how you turn out to be only so far. Education and culture is where it's at.

Greed, lust and fear direct the mankind because in such a society, those things are perpetuated. It's a vicious cycle that never stops feeding itself. In order for those things to change, the cycle must be broken. How? No damn idea. Impossible, perhaps. But I firmly believe that's how it is.

There are imperatives common to all humans - survive, breed, live in a community, strive to live better than the rest to prove your superiority and right to breed, etc. These imperatives get adjusted if not twisted by our culture, things like accepted monogamy, social origin, religion, etc. But the core stays the same.

There's a reason there are wars in this world, and it hasn't gone anywhere because the roots of the problem have never been and will never be addressed. It's always because of "duty", "freedom", "helping hand" and other bullshit justifications, while it always, always ends with one bunch of dudes taking away stuff from other bunch of dudes, be it territory, resources, or independence. It was that way when two tribes would clash over a dead mammoth with clubs and spears, it was that way when crusaders prayed to God and pillaged Jerusalem, it was that way when world media preached about terrorism and democracy while american troops raided Middle East and United States got inexplicably richer.

People will always seek benefit and satisfaction in whatever they do. Few care about other people's interests in the long or short run when the scale becomes big. Even fewer question the reasons of this everlasting race. We're all egoists. You can trick this system within yourself by switching sources of satisfaction, if you are good at convincing yourself. That's the reason I'm into Buddhism.

[Deleted]

thanks for all the replies guys