Comedian Bill Burr gets asked about current events and is invited to share his thoughts. His blunt way of speaking is what attracts people’s attention. And at times, it’s the reason why he gets interrogated by journalists about his comments on the news.
“I don’t watch the news.”
That’s Bill’s response when they want him to answer a serious question. It’s not an excuse to avoid the question; it’s the truth— he doesn’t watch enough of the news to answer serious questions.
You can tell he’s more relaxed about it, too. Anyone that stays up to date on current news will tell you they feel anxious about what’s happening in the world. It’s not just a consequence of watching the news, but rather a natural reaction. We feel helpless when we hear an earthquake devastated a certain part of the world, even if it’s outside our control.
And that’s why I don’t pay attention to the news either: because it’s outside of my control.
I lack the fortitude to be unaffected by what I see or hear on the news , and feeling anxious about it won’t make it better. Yes, I could theoretically do something about it like starting a GoFundMe page or donate to a charity addressing such problems. But a part of me feels like that’s not enough— I’d rather be at the site where the problem is happening to offer support that feels direct and tangible.
If I don’t have the resources to help out, then I’ll leave it to the professionals. For me, it’s either: commit to the project 100% or don’t commit at all. Committing to it anywhere in between is just cutting corners and ruining it for everyone involved.
I keep it simple: if it’s something outside of my control, I don’t bother.
I have enough troubles of my own that I can’t be bothered to save the world.
And if we focused more on fixing our troubles, the world might not need many breaking news.
Here’s my inspiration for the day.