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What's the point of dwelling on all the negative?

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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
I understand staying informed about the world, there's nothing wrong with that. I just don't see the point of leaving the TV on all day watching them rehash the events over and over. What does that bring you?

Why are we so attracted to bad shit? We hate it, but we love it.

I just feel like at a certain point it's just bringing us down, and I don't see how that's good. I'm not saying we sure ignore all the bad shit and pretend it didn't happen, but why do we feel such an attachment to it? Why do we constantly need to find bad shit to dwell on?
Dec 14 2012 5:15PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
FTR, I'm talking about humanity in general not "we" meaning this skiing community.
Dec 14 2012 5:16PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,248
Threads, because I hate it and am sure someone has a decent psychological explanation
Dec 14 2012 5:18PM
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PJS.
Posts: 11943 - Karma: 895
Bad news sells, first of all. That's because being interested in something morbid/horrible/tragic is kind of human nature, has been since the time of the Coliseum. No one particularly wants to dwell on it, but yeah if you turn on CNN or some other 24/7 news channel you will probably see mostly bad news. No news=good news applies, and because they need to fill space, bad news dominates.

Shit man, no one's forcing you to do anything besides scroll through reddit.com/r/aww all day. But sometimes the world is shitty, and being realistic about that is helpful for our worldview.
Dec 14 2012 5:23PM
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,846
yeah you have a point. like, obviously bad things are bad. and obviously what happened this morning is awful and we should think about it.
but yeah. not going to get too far into this right now...


relevant:

Dec 14 2012 5:25PM
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Idahoskier420
Posts: 719 - Karma: 86
I have considered this topic as well and I can conclude two things:

1. More people will potentially tune into to viewing bad things such as disasters, mass shootings, wars etc. basically Cash rules

2. Is the concept of duality. just as light and dark cannot exist independent of one another, good and bed also occupy the same metaphysical space.

I should elaborate but I have an essay to finish!
Dec 14 2012 5:28PM
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Jeebus.
Posts: 4904 - Karma: 5,822
Honestly, how much money do you think news channels make on days like today, probably a lot more than a typical day of news. Its hard because people do need to be informed but they are also guilty of taking advantage of awful situation.
Dec 14 2012 5:28PM
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PJS.
Posts: 11943 - Karma: 895
News channels have always walked a line between honest journalism and playing up the fear, despair, hopelessness for their own personal gain. You have to make your own choices in what you want to listen to.
Dec 14 2012 5:31PM
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2_fadez
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 4,183
Because its an excuse to have a beer
Dec 14 2012 5:32PM
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,846
guilty of what? who says theyre guilty? who is getting hurt from it? the families? hardly.

there are just so many preconcieved ideas in modern society (ironically used cliche but its true) that dont get considered rationally or practically. theyre just assumed to be true.
Dec 14 2012 5:32PM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
This is interesting.

I used to watch the news for a good 10-15 mins every day on TV.
I used to check CNN every few hours if at a computer.

This might have gone on for 7 or 8 years, without me realising what I was even doing. After that long, though, I realised that everything they show is just the same shit, in different conditions or situations. Most of it is war. Some of it is junk like fashion, and even sports seems to repeat itself, even though I still enjoy it a little. Then there is politics, which is like watching a bouncy ball going between two walls forever. Interesting until you realise that nothing ever happens.

Now, all I check is the weather forecast, NS, youtube if I want some music or random vids (which I can choose), a few other interesting forums, and other peoples' photos.

Glad to say that I do not own a TV, because it really does not have a place in my life.
Dec 14 2012 5:33PM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
You're a thread making machine recently
Dec 14 2012 5:35PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
I agree, we are attracted to it. George Carlin did some stuff on the subject.(I know comedian, but it was pretty spot on) We get off on bad stuff happening. It's human nature but that doesn't mean that it's good, or something we need to do. IDK

I think you completely missed my point. Maybe I wasn't clear on what I was saying, it happens. Actually I think you did straight up miss what I was saying. "I'm not saying we sure ignore all the bad shit and pretend it didn't happen"
I was saying it's good to be realistic, but there's a difference between recognizing something and dwelling on it.

I've never even used reddit but nice point. What more do you gain after watching the story 5 times, from watching it for the next 10 hours. That was my point.

Everyone dwells on the bad shit, saying "Why is the world such a terrible place" Then the next day go right back to being assholes to each other. If it changed people for the better and made people think, "This world is fucked up, lets be better people", then that's something positive.

Dec 14 2012 5:36PM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
Ok a different note I know what your saying, I'm a big advocate of things happen for a reason, even if its bad ie. Someone dies worse case senario
Dec 14 2012 5:38PM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
Not even gonna finish f ns moble
Dec 14 2012 5:39PM
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Jeebus.
Posts: 4904 - Karma: 5,822
Well, for one, it encourages Copy-Cat killers because they see how much fame and attention these people get. Thats why mass shootings usually come in waves.
Dec 14 2012 5:40PM
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Bogs
Posts: 4296 - Karma: 1,361
i think its in part because bad things are more interesting than good things, but also deeper than that. when you see something good that happens on the news, like, say, someone saving someones life from a burning building or something, its easy to make sense and understand the rationale behind it: as a person you generally want to try and help those around you/prevent them from getting hurt and suffering. it makes sense to us. something like shooting a bunch of school children doesn't make sense. we want to understand what makes a person want to do that, why they would do it, even how they could do it. i think, deep down, we feel that if we can somehow understand something so horrible and incomprehensible to most of us it will somehow make it better. so i guess its a sort of coping mechanism? of course this is all merely guessing on my part, so make of it what you will.
Dec 14 2012 6:06PM
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PJS.
Posts: 11943 - Karma: 895
Alright, well then maybe I'm saying people aren't trying to dwell on it, it's just everywhere.
Dec 14 2012 6:33PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Interesting take. I can dig it.
Dec 14 2012 6:34PM
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,353
its not just bad things. Remember when the pilot landed his plane in the hudson river? thats shit was on all news stations non stop. it just that bad thing happen more often than amazingly good things.
Dec 14 2012 6:37PM
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Jane6
Posts: 5359 - Karma: 4,506
somewhat relevant? Idk

Click for larger image
Dec 14 2012 6:38PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
I'm a big fan of instead of positive feedback and only constructive negative feedback ONLY constructive feedback in general. when someone's like that was rad! I'm like.. but... tell me why plis.

I guess I agree, but I think focusing on the bad in a way/for the purpose of progress and critical thinking is important, and what I spend a lot of time doing. It can be disheartening but heart can be taken in the realization of change and setting at the very least an idea for change in your mind.

Either decide to change it, then do it, or decide to not worry about it - what gets me through the day.
Dec 14 2012 6:41PM
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Thadius.Castle
Posts: 1436 - Karma: 250
For most people, it's easier to rationalize all of the negativity, hate, bigotry, racism, etc. Than the good in the world. That's not to say there isn't good in the world, there is, it's just in small trivial amounts in comparison to the bad. I think that's the simplest explanation, not necessarily the best, but I think that's how I make sense of it.

Dec 14 2012 6:41PM
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Broommasta
Posts: 764 - Karma: 56
There is no point per say. I think people enjoy it because it keeps egos in check by feeling sympathetic or empathetic. And at the same time it can make them feel "well at least thats not me". Another thing is people have a basic desire for knowledge I believe. Especially knowledge of what to be afraid of.
Dec 14 2012 6:41PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
I actually thought of that when posting. That was the first one in my head. There are plenty of good things that happen everyday on a lesser scale, but something bad that's smaller seems to grab our attention.

There's def a deep attraction to bad shit. Somewhere inside of us we love it.


I don't think it's true that there are way more bad things happening than good things. If you look around you there is still plenty of good. I guess that's what I was trying to say in a way.
Dec 14 2012 6:43PM
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,846
I remember when I boy in my highschool died. "Knowing him" became a fad and going to his funeral was the ultimate in cool. It made me sick.

Not saying ppl are doing that today, but it is a thing
Dec 14 2012 6:46PM
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Bogs
Posts: 4296 - Karma: 1,361
what? you think it is easier to rationalize bad than good? so a guy killing 20 elementary school kids makes more sense to you than someone pulling someone else out of the street before they get hit by a car?
Dec 14 2012 6:55PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37401 - Karma: 120,329
This is what irks me the most about kids committing suicide because they were being bullied. Whenever I see stories like that on the news, Majority of the time they interview random-ass kids who probably never spoke to the kid and probably contributed to his outcast-ing in school. I feel like half the kids are saying they are all sad and sympathetic because everyone else is doing it. You can really tell who was really effected and close to the kids. And it was probably just his parents.
Dec 14 2012 6:56PM
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Dr.Dealgood
Posts: 2587 - Karma: 1,352
/threads for response tomorrow.
Dec 14 2012 7:01PM
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slugworth
Posts: 1247 - Karma: 772
Feel the same way mane. This stuff happens. As sad as it is I'm not gonna let it big me down
Dec 14 2012 7:08PM
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Thadius.Castle
Posts: 1436 - Karma: 250
Yes. I do. In this world we recognize and see so much more negative than good through our lifetimes than good, at least we hear about it. Sure, thousands of "good" deeds are committed each day, but the majority of those are small things. Then we hear about shootings like this, and they happen monthly, all the time. That was my point.
Dec 14 2012 7:09PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
I replied to this and my NS lagged out, trying to post what I said the first time, ish.

I agree that using it for progress is good. If you see something bad and it motivates you to make some positive changes then there's some good right there. I just feel like a lot of people post the obligatory facebook status about how touched they are, then 2 minutes later go back to no caring. The same with the 9/11 thing. Slightly different as this is a current even but still.

If you really cared, instead of making a facebook status making sure I know you care, you would go and do something positive as a result. That's just my opinion though. It just seems like too many people post about how much the world sucks, and + vibes, then go back to being an asshole the next day, unchanged.


And I hear ya
Dec 14 2012 7:17PM
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Bogs
Posts: 4296 - Karma: 1,361
do you know what "rationalize" means?
Dec 14 2012 7:19PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
I'm not sure where, when this happened. I just remember hearing about it at some point in time.

This kid killed himself and all these kids showed up to the funeral, and the mom was like " Who are these people?" I never saw any of them, they weren't friends to my son etc.

Not sure exactly what she said but it was along those lines. Honestly a valid point. People were a douche to the kid, bullied him non stop. nobody seemed to care, then he killed himself and everybody was suddenly his best friend. If that was more recently a thousand people would have + vibes etc on facebook.

Pretty intense though and can you blame her?

What the hell do people get out of being dicks to each other? People will go out of there way just to make somebody else feel like shit, it baffles me.
Dec 14 2012 7:56PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
We're morbid fucks as far as humanity, we just try to sugar coat it. When something bad happens people are like "OMG that's so horrible, now give me all the horrible deetz! Are there pictures, videos, awww, that's so horrible though"

Dec 14 2012 11:20PM
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