The Un-Merry Go Round in Fear
by Jaden
photo credit: foundphotoslj
The news is a great source of negativity that builds fears and insecurity in order to increase its own profits. The fear factory has caused immeasurable negative effects on our world.
News sources pump out fear articles daily, like this one: “The New York area is expected to lose 181,000 jobs in 2009… Unemployment is expected to top 10 percent in 70 areas…”
Expected? Maybe we ought to round up all the $5 Palm Readers, call them journalists, and print their predictions too.
News reports predicting our dismal future create our dismal future: they instill the fear in people to withdraw their funds from investments, causing companies and banks to crumble, causing fear amongst leaders to fire people, causing unemployed people to stop shopping, stop driving, and stop living, causing businesses to shut their doors…
Senseless and aimless, the un-merry go round and round in a vicious cycle of fear that causes the world economy to collapse.
We each individually and collectively are responsible for what happens in our lives and in this world.
There is a superb article put out by Time Magazine called How Americans Are Living Dangerously, November 26, 2006. It is about our old brain in this new world and why we inaccurately assess risks. It breaks down into percentages what actually kills people and about what people waste their time worrying.
During the last major depression and bank crisis, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected, during his inauguration speech on March 4, 1933, he famously said (and let us commend his anonymous and brilliant speech writer, which I assume he must have had one):
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance… Yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague of locusts… Plenty is at our doorstep…”
Reality is that which you pull from the intangible imaginative depths of your brain and bring into the material physical realm.
You can bring your negativity, your fears, and your insecurities or you can bring your positivity, your hopes, and your ideals. You choose. What kind of person would you hire?
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15 Responses to “The Un-Merry Go Round in Fear”
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“Reality is that which you pull from the intangible imaginative depths of your brain and bring into the material physical realm.”
I love it when you talk deep to me. I couldn’t agree more. One manifests One’s own reality and worth.
Thank you for writing this. Sometimes I need a nice firm slap in the face from the optimistic hand of self realization.
Negativity is definitely contagious – and dangerous. I say try to steer clear of it!
I’d describe myself as naturally optimistic. I see the glass as 1/4th full, even though I’m about to drink the rest of it in a few seconds.
I’ve been made more aware of fear tactics thats to socially conscious music and movies. But even if I’m not thinking politically, I’m just looking for the positive part to a situation. Perhaps this is why I see some of my own problems in life as material for a comedy, even when I’m on the verge of tears. I see enough depressing or negative things on TV everyday, not that I don’t take the serious things seriously… but I’ve learned from a cartoon not to take life too seriously because you’ll never get out of it alive.
“Nothing quenches the fires of passion faster than a negative reaction to a good idea…”
- Professor F. Meigh. (University of Upton on the Hornblende, 1857). :-)
Friar — Boy have I snapped and sizzled when some of my (not necessarily) good ideas were tinkled on by someone. It’s like pissing in a frying pan full of bacon. Not a good idea for the urinater.
t.sterling — Laughing. My glass is like 1/29th full. Wait! One… More… Drop… Too funny. I get excited about finding a quarter in the gutter. Our friendly circle of writers are uncommonly optimistic. We are the chanters for a positive tune. It warms my tootsies.
Melissa — Here, here! I agree. These are the years of defeatist eradication.
Shane — *SMAK*SMAK*SMAK* Bad boy. Now go to your room and don’t come out until I hear some laughter coming from you as you write your next absolutely absurd scene.
PS to t.sterling… This beggar came up to my car the other day and asked me for $60!!!! I was like, are you effen kidding me?! How about you go and get $120 and give me $60! Geeze. I could use some gas in my car. Have the prices of drugs hit an all time high, or what? (haha, accidental pun) Inflation! Donating has sure gotten expensive. And if you offer them food or a dollar, they grumble and curse and throw it back at you. Hilarious. I think the poor are richer than the rich these days — certainly if you consider debt — the rich these days are in the hole for millions.
Jaden– You got me laughing this time… pissing in a frying pan full of bacon… wow that’s hilarious. I have to use that. And I’m also highly humored that you used the word “tootsies” and that they have been warmed. I still can’t tell “warms the cockles of my heart” without tearing up. I heard that in the movie “Big Trouble” and it’s the mere delivery that gets me. Apparently a lot of people thought the movie sucked, but I loved it. I read the book but liked the movie more.
And there’s nothing like an honest beggar. Why beat around the bush asking for a dollar there and loose change here? Get it all at once… times are definitely hard. Thank you for the chuckles.
Friar– that professor looks familiar… he must get around.
@t
Yes…Professor Meigh is making the lecture circuit, as we speak!
t.sterling — “an honest beggar. Why beat around the bush” — laughing
friar — looking forward to more Prof F M quotes.
I think media is the biggest terrorist of them all, infusing our minds with negativity everyday! The matter of fact is that life isn’t easy! Horrible things go on everyday, however there is just as much good that goes on too. Like you said, it’s up to us to decide what we focus on: negativity vs. positivity. What will you choose?
It’s so funny, SizzlingPopcorn called them what I call them — terrorists! OMG, we live with them everyday! I often change the channel because, sometimes, I actually know better! Imagine that!
Sorry, how do you do, Jaden? I followed a link and here I am — nosy and opinionated. :) Couldn’t help it, I just agree with this one too much!
SizzlyP — Yeah, I was standing on the train reading all the newspaper headings people were reading — each one just absolutely awful. They are the epitome of spreading fear and terror. It’s almost comical it is so bad, like a joke, like an ironic satire. How could this be all there is to report around the world?
Evelyn — Bring it! We love opinions and big noses here.
Relax :There Will Be No Depression and gold and silver will outperform;
LA-based gold commentator Kenneth J. Gerbino tells us why he feels there won’t be a depression but we will be faced with inflation, and markets in general, and bonds in particular, will prove to be bad buys, while gold and silver will perform best of all. (click to read about it)
I love this post Jaden. Why as a people can we not learn from our mistakes? Why are we doomed to recommit the same errors time and again, and still expect a different outcome? It’s almost laughable, almost.
It is in this “dismal” economic climate that we must infuse the market not hide quarters under our matresses. I wish that people could see beyond the scary headlines and realize that normal spending habits provide jobs, provide income and fiscal sustainability. I also wish though that mega million dollar companies would lay less people off in the face of lower profits in the past couple of years. Lower profits are still profits, they are not in a deficit. Anywho, that is another rant best served with a swift kick in the behind… should I ever have the opportunity present itself, I hope I’m wearing heels!
Again, great post… thanks for being so stand up about your opinions!
RNW
RNW — Yes, yes, round and round we go. Where it stops, nobody knows.