Everything is Amazing and Nobody's Happy

[JimmieD]

The title is shamelessly from a Louis CK riff.

-In other news, I can fly in the sky on a chair, while watching a movie, surfing the internet and drinking a beer.

-I can travel from East Coast to West Coast in a few hours (rather than what used to take years).

-I have goods delivered to my door which requires no more effort than moving my index finger.

-I have a phone that fits in my pocket.

-I have never walked into a bank branch for the bank I use.

-The deaf hear:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsOo3jzkhYA

-The blind see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EltIpB4EtYU

But these aren't "news" because (a) we take them for granted and (b) the "news" seen on TV and various other media is curated in a manner to get you get you to watch - to occupy your eyeballs so that you see what the advertisers are selling. Media makes it's money off of advertising, and the most assured way to win advertising dollars is to use various methods that are assured to grab your attention. Reporting things that appeal to base emotions like happiness, sadness, fear/surprise, and anger/disgust is the surest way to grab your attention. Appealing to routine things doesn't grab your attention in the same way that base emotions do. When things happen as expected, you are likely to ignore them.

Think about a hot topic these days: The Affluenza Mother and her son. Why is this story even news? Does this affect your life in any way whatsoever? Of course not, but it's all over media because it sells. It sells because it evokes anger and disgust. We're disgusted and angry when justice isn't exercised correctly - when someone gets away with murder only because they were rich.

How about media reporting on exactly how many people died in various acts of violence? Why is there nothing ever reported on the number of lives saved by something like doctors working long hours in surgeries? Because the latter is too routine and so it wouldn't command your attention.

Base emotion grabs attention, and so it sells, and the overwhelmingly negative topics on this board testify that we're buying what's being sold.

 

[wwjd_kilden]

My step brothers daughter said something similar once

- Why is there only sad stuff in the news? Why is there never news about peoples lives being saved and puppies being adopted and stuff?

Indeed, tragedy sells.
Here is an effort to counter that though;

Good News, Inspiring, Positive Stories - Good News Network

 

[Sinnerman]

I'm happy. I'm real happy. I have a beautiful loving wife. I dropped out of college twice and yet own two homes and retired at 34 years of age. I have fun and exciting hobbies like mountain biking. My wife plays tennis and runs and swims and plays volleyball and mountain bikes. We eat exotic foods like Vietnamese and Thai food and sushi and Korean foods. All available at local restaurants or in the grocery store. I love listening to music and can do so as I run or ride my bike using my Ipod Nano. My bike is more sophisticated than most motorcycles, using carbon fiber parts and multiple link suspension and tubeless tires. My wife's boss just spent $12k on a 15 pound race bike. The technology is amazing. Television is amazing. The picture quality is fantastic and I have installed two different surround systems in each of our homes. I never go to the movie theaters any more. I've got a Ninja blender to make perfect smoothies. I have excellent health care and despite countless injuries over the years, I'm still physically active. I have enough free time to do volunteer work. I take time to walk our two dogs twice each day. I use the internet to meet other people our age to mountain bike with. We have traveled all over North America, camping out and discovering the beauty of the wilderness. I can sit here an use the internet to order clothes or bike parts on Amazon and get them delivered to our door later today. I went to the grocery store to buy some Mazithra cheese for a pasta dish. They had over 100 different kinds of cheeses. Some day soon, Blue Bell ice cream will be back on the shelf for me to enjoy. I was able to walk away from a great job as a police officer in the 80's in order to seek out a climate more suitable to my activities. I no longer had to spend all winter wishing I lived in a warmer climate. I can play chess on my computer. I can play backgammon against other people from around the world on my computer. I can find a recipe for a German Apple Pancake in seconds. I know what the weather will be like for the rest of the week. My wife drives a car that doesn't need gas. If our dogs should run away, they have imbedded chips and an ID on their collars, to help people get them back to us. Good or bad, I can live to an age of 90 or more due to modern medicine and a proper diet with exercise. I live near some beautiful parks, I spend time in. I can call my sisters long distance for no extra charge. I live one mile from a Home Depot and a Lowes. There are probably 20 different burger places within ten miles of our house. Today is $10 pizza day at Papa Murphy's. I'm headed there to get a stuffed pizza with double spinach, double mushrooms, and chicken. Life is amazing.

 

[crossnote]

I'm happy. I'm real happy. I have a beautiful loving wife. I dropped out of college twice and yet own two homes and retired at 34 years of age. I have fun and exciting hobbies like mountain biking. My wife plays tennis and runs and swims and plays volleyball and mountain bikes. We eat exotic foods like Vietnamese and Thai food and sushi and Korean foods. All available at local restaurants or in the grocery store. I love listening to music and can do so as I run or ride my bike using my Ipod Nano. My bike is more sophisticated than most motorcycles, using carbon fiber parts and multiple link suspension and tubeless tires. My wife's boss just spent $12k on a 15 pound race bike. The technology is amazing. Television is amazing. The picture quality is fantastic and I have installed two different surround systems in each of our homes. I never go to the movie theaters any more. I've got a Ninja blender to make perfect smoothies. I have excellent health care and despite countless injuries over the years, I'm still physically active. I have enough free time to do volunteer work. I take time to walk our two dogs twice each day. I use the internet to meet other people our age to mountain bike with. We have traveled all over North America, camping out and discovering the beauty of the wilderness. I can sit here an use the internet to order clothes or bike parts on Amazon and get them delivered to our door later today. I went to the grocery store to buy some Mazithra cheese for a pasta dish. They had over 100 different kinds of cheeses. Some day soon, Blue Bell ice cream will be back on the shelf for me to enjoy. I was able to walk away from a great job as a police officer in the 80's in order to seek out a climate more suitable to my activities. I no longer had to spend all winter wishing I lived in a warmer climate. I can play chess on my computer. I can play backgammon against other people from around the world on my computer. I can find a recipe for a German Apple Pancake in seconds. I know what the weather will be like for the rest of the week. My wife drives a car that doesn't need gas. If our dogs should run away, they have imbedded chips and an ID on their collars, to help people get them back to us. Good or bad, I can live to an age of 90 or more due to modern medicine and a proper diet with exercise. I live near some beautiful parks, I spend time in. I can call my sisters long distance for no extra charge. I live one mile from a Home Depot and a Lowes. There are probably 20 different burger places within ten miles of our house. Today is $10 pizza day at Papa Murphy's. I'm headed there to get a stuffed pizza with double spinach, double mushrooms, and chicken. Life is amazing.

The question is...would you still be happy if you didn't have all those goodies?

Philippians 4:11-12 KJVS
[11] Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

 

[Sinnerman]

The question is...would you still be happy if you didn't have all those goodies?

Philippians 4:11-12 KJVS
[11] Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Yup. My best memories are from the times I had very little. But like Dudley Moore said in the movie Arthur, when asked what it's like to be rich; "it doesn't suck".

 

[crossnote]

Yup. My best memories are from the times I had very little. But like Dudley Moore said in the movie Arthur, when asked what it's like to be rich; "it doesn't suck".

Now there's a great repository of truth lol.

 

[pwrnJC]

So for the next few decades, hopefully, this earthly success you have will last. Praise GOD for your daily achievements and blessings...oops...my bad. I just read your post and never saw the word GOD, JESUS CHRIST, or any mention of the spiritual success that you and HE have accomplished. In other words, we see the tangible physical attributes, but why NO mention of where your blessings have come from? Just curious....for JESUS should get all the praise and glory.

 

[eternallife7]

My step brothers daughter said something similar once

- Why is there only sad stuff in the news? Why is there never news about peoples lives being saved and puppies being adopted and stuff?

Indeed, tragedy sells.
Here is an effort to counter that though;

Good News, Inspiring, Positive Stories - Good News Network

We are being sent out as sheep amongst wolves

 

[JimmieD]

So for the next few decades, hopefully, this earthly success you have will last. Praise GOD for your daily achievements and blessings...oops...my bad. I just read your post and never saw the word GOD, JESUS CHRIST, or any mention of the spiritual success that you and HE have accomplished. In other words, we see the tangible physical attributes, but why NO mention of where your blessings have come from? Just curious....for JESUS should get all the praise and glory.

The Op was meant to point out the imbalance in what's viewed, reported, and commented on as news. I'm sorry you were unable to get the point.