It’s Not Just Ignorance That is Bliss- It’s Also Apathy.
With the rise of social media, the abundance of information on the internet, and the news of Covid-19 hanging around for the past year, it’s easy to feel depressed and overwhelmed over what’s going on around the world. Not to mention the fact that you also have to deal with other people’s opinions now more than ever- yes, even the most baffling and insane ones. Obviously, not only are we not immune from propaganda, but we’re also not immune to peer pressure. Our lack of immunity from propaganda and peer pressure can easily stress out and depress us, especially when it comes to negative news.
Speaking of negative news, it looks like there’s been a lot of that in the recent years, particularly in 2020 (due to obvious reasons). Could it be the fact that with negative news, we just can’t simply look away like we can’t look away from a serious car crash? Could all of that be the result of news shows reporting more and more negativity, thus grabbing even more of our attention? Could it be that our reality is just simply too depressing to be optimistic about? All of those factors can and will cause more stress and depression in the general public, and as the saying goes-
Misery loves company.
Well, what about the people who don’t seem to be affected by all the negativity around the world being reported on the news every day? Those people always seem to be happy despite all of what’s been going on these days. How could they? Don’t they care about all the bad things going on? Do they even know?! There’s a popular saying for those people-
Ignorance is bliss.
Well, the problem with that is with ignorance, you don’t really know any better. Yes, you’re happier, but what happens when you find out, and you actually care about something that you’ve just learned? That’s a pretty stressful thing to deal with. More and more research, down the rabbit hole, feeling more and more depressed about the human rights abuses in various countries, whatever disease there is to worry about today, or even your own personal demons. It just seems to never end, and that’s just even more depressing to think about.
So, why do you care so much? Why should you care? Yes, there are issues that affect you on a personal level and issues that affect you as a source of your identity, but what about those other issues? They don’t seem to affect you, but maybe you care because you care about other people in general. It’s good to care about other people, but you can only go so far before you, too, get burned out and suffer more mental health problems. You deserve a break from hearing about all the bad things in the world because in the end, we’re all humans, and there’s just only so much that we’re going to be able to care about. That’s why I propose to using this statement-
It’s not just ignorance that’s bliss- it’s also apathy.
Think about it- have you seen those types of people who just don’t seem to care about what’s going on around them or about other people’s reactions towards them? Haven’t you ever envied them before? Of you have, we all have, and I certainly have. They just seem so content with themselves- in their own little worlds, prioritizing themselves over some random stranger’s opinions, seeming to have their lives together. We’ve all wanted to be that person; we all probably still want to be that person. How do they do it so well?
Maybe it has something to do with upbringing. Perhaps they’ve had parents or legal guardians have raised them to not put so much value on other people’s opinions or overthink about something going on in the world they couldn’t control. There are lots of things that are out of our control- pandemics, natural disasters, someone else’s life, death- and again, it’s pretty easy to go down the rabbit hole of stress and depression.
But we all need a break from the insane negativity of it all, and a good break could be all it takes to bring back the sanity and mental well-being. You shouldn’t just spend all your time in front of a computer or your phone reading news articles and/or someone else’s opinions on the current news, and you especially shouldn’t have to worry about being cancelled over sharing an opinion that’s different from the popular consensus. Yet… this is what happens every day (the less we talk about Twitter, the better). If you’ve ever been an average teenager (or if you’ve ever wanted to be an average teenager), you should know how stressful it is to follow whatever popular trend or hold the same popular opinions as the famous celebrities and politicians. Should you hold in your feelings and opinions, ultimately stressing yourself out even more, or should you accept that people have different opinions, leaving the drama alone after letting out all of your feelings?
Those who seem to be happy could be letting their emotions out in a healthy manner. For example, keeping a journal is considered a healthy way of letting out your emotions. But what happens when you try that, and you still feel inadequate?Another healthy coping mechanism is exercising. With exercising, not only are you keeping your mind off of whatever is bothering you, but you’re also receiving fresh air and vitamin D, which are very important for a healthy body.
Speaking of fresh air and vitamin D, both of those things are outside of the house and away from the screens. Aside from the two things mentioned above, going outside also gives you a different environment that’s not on a screen. That means going on an adventure, seeing different faces, learning about new perspectives, and getting a break from whatever is going on in your life. While it’s true that you’re the main character of your life, and while it also might be true that maybe the world does revolve around you, there are also other people in your life- be it side characters or even background characters. You’re not the only one in the universe; it would be a lonely place it it was otherwise. It’s fun to talk to other people, to learn about their lives and their opinions, to realize there are different people with different perspectives, to realize that the world is a big place with billions of different people and that you’re one of them. And while you’re the main protagonist in your life, you’re also an interesting side character or background character to someone else.
This could be why those who seem to be happy despite all the drama in the world are like that. Maybe they realize they’re just one person, and while they’re not going to make a big impact on the world overnight, they could make a tiny impact on someone else. Or maybe they know they’re not going to make a huge impact on somebody or something, and they’re okay with that. It’s pretty stressful to take in a lot of consideration when it comes to other people’s opinions after all. Constantly thinking about ways to improve yourself and figuring out ways to market yourself to as many people as possible- it burns you out, and that’s not healthy for somebody.
There are almost eight billion people in the world; you can’t expect all those people to be impacted by or even know you, and that’s okay. The world is a big place, so you’re not going to influence everyone in the world because almost all of those people are complete strangers to you. Many sources say you can only have up to 150 friends (called Dunbar’s number). 150 friends still sounds like a lot of people, but that’s barely even a fraction out of almost eight billion. It may make sense to only try to impress those closest to you, but that can happen just by being your authentic self. So, what does it take to be your authentic self?
We’re all influenced by something that’s happened in our lives or by something we’ve seen. Some of us had lived in privilege growing up, and some of us have been abused by family members, teachers, or other peers their age. Our environment has a lot of effect on how we view the world. For example, if someone’s been bullied and abused their entire lives for even the tiniest thing, they’re going to question every move they make because they’re afraid of the bullying and abuse coming back. Meanwhile, if another person grew up with positive affirmations and support, they’re going to believe in themselves and have their head on their shoulders. This is a pretty simple explanation; every little piece of abuse someone’s received diminishes any confidence bit by by while affirmations and support build confidence back up.
Well, what about the people who were just naturally born privileged? They’ve hardly faced any hardships in their lives, and they’re better off because of it. They’ve never had to think about the subtle discrimination against minorities or the implications of their words they’ve used subconsciously because they’ve always been the default. For example, white people don’t typically have to think much about race issues since they’re not affected as much as other races. The same can be said for straight people on LGBTQ+ issues, abled people on disability issues, and cisgender people on transgender issues. When you’ve always been the default, you never seem to notice what kinds of bigotry go on in the world, and you’re not usually expected to care much about them in the first place. Yes, those with privilege should care about the rights of those who are disadvantaged, and it’s a great thing if they do so and try to think about their implications, but typically, they’re not expected to make those topics revolve around their whole life like those who have to deal with said topics on a daily basis.
And really, it only takes so much caring before you burn out. Imagine having to deal with all the injustices of the world every day of your life- it’s stressful, and it’s exhausting. You have less time to focus on things you enjoy. Sure, you can mix activism and a favorite activity of yours together; plenty of people mix in activism with art, writing, or music. But if you do that all the time, what time do you have for something you enjoy? What time do you have to escape to a place that has nothing to do with reality? And with the internet’s constant information, it’s no wonder so many people burn out from all the bad news going on in the world. We need escapism not just to escape from reality, but also to recharge our batteries to come back to reality. One person’s for of escapism might be cartoons, another’s might be music, and a different person’s might be their family and friends. This could a big reason why those who don’t seem to care about what’s going on in the world are happy. Maybe they do care, but they’re escaping from reality right now to recharge their batteries. It’s okay to take breaks after all.
Again, with the rise of social media, the abundance of information on the internet, and the news of Covid-19 hanging around for the past year, it’s easy to feel depressed and overwhelmed over what’s going on around the world. Yes, it’s important to be aware and care about the issues going on in the world, but you shouldn’t let it constantly revolve around your room. You may not have the best upbringing or the most amount of privilege, but it’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to escape from reality for a bit to recharge your battery, it’s okay to repeat positive affirmations and reach out for support, it’s okay to be your authentic self around your closest friends and family members, it’s okay to go outside and get fresh air, it’s okay to get your feelings out of your system, and it’s okay to express yourself. You are just one person out of almost eight billion, and whatever is going on in the world is going to take a toll on you. But I’m here to tell you this- you can’t control what’s going on in the world, but you can control how you respond to those situations. This is your world, and you’re the main character in your life. You can either let all the negative news burn you out, or you can take a break and enjoy life at the moment. It’s your choice.
