Frankology

I'd love to say this is a concept I came up with but it isn't. Tim Ferrous mentioned this on a podcast, which exact one I cannot remember. I'm sure too there must have been many before him.

Anyway, the strategy is to either stop reading the news altogether or at least read only the headlines. In Tim's case, he went for the latter from the newsstands on his way to work, or as he commuted around town. In most countries, like South Africa where I live, this isn't really an option. Our travel is vastly different and we don't have newsstands. Also, it's 2018, so it's digital all the way.

The part that makes this work: if it's really that important, of actual consequence, you'll hear about it from someone else. The rest is just chatter. Clutter which impedes freedom of the mind, decisiveness and creativity.

“You can't just stick your head in the sand and hope it goes away,” I hear them say. Well, try it and let me know if it made any difference to the issues being reported on. In fact, I challenge you to tell me it made any difference at all – period.

The cause and effect only touches you, the consumer of the news. It has no direct effect on any issues being considered and your indefinite, total exclusion, will not prevent the world from spinning. If anything, you will feel less stressed, and in a position where independent thought processing is possible.

The news influences us in ways we never imagined. We consume more of it now than we ever imagined. What was once a vehicle for information has become a tool for persuasion. If nothing else, news clouds the water, making it ever more difficult to know which way to swim to reach the banks.