Stop Reading the News: A Manifesto for a Happier, Calmer and Wiser Life
by Rolf Dobelli
Summary by Vale
How I gave up the news
The length of newspapers remain the same no matter how eventful or uneventful each day is. If something happened on an uneventful day, it would be treated as important and given centre stage, even if on a busy day it would have been treated as unimportant.
In a way, news addiction is as dangerous as alcohol addiction. Moreover, you're likely actively encouraged to read the news. After thousands of hours of consuming the news, ask yourself the following:
The dominant model of news today is that the new is being sold as the relevant. Anything that might pique readers' interest and boost sales is considered newsworthy by publishers, regardless of whether it is actually important. This is the same across print, online, social media, radio and television.
Other media, like long-form pieces, magazine articles, essays, features, reportage, documentaries and books do not necessarily guarantee relevance either. As long as they're published in media primarily financed through advertising, there's a danger that they will prioritise novelty value above relevance.
Out of the many news articles you've consumed over the past year, can you think of a single one that helped you make a better decision about your life, family, career, welfare or business? A decision you wouldn't have made without the news?
Even if some articles did help you improve your quality of life, consider how much rubbish your brain had to cope with in order to unearth this one truffle.
If it's important, you'll know about it. People will tell you. You'll find out soon enough - from the specialised press, from your friends, colleagues, family, or someone you're chatting to.
<aside> 🗣 Potential argument here about covid coronavirus Vaccine news comes in waves and it's the accumulation of many similar-ish articles and the wave of information that could ultimately lead to a decision not to vaccinate / choose a brand of vaccine. Counterpoint: It is precisely this - the presence of so much conflicting information out there, that it is important to avoid the news, let the dust settle? Before deciding for yourself your best course of action. This is explored later actually - Information given on the day something happens is necessarily basic and inadequate.
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A middleground: Can't I just be more selective about the news I read? I can simply consume articles that are worth something and leave everything else aside.