Asklemmy

One person cannot fix every problem in the world. But you can do your part.

One answer could be for you to learn and practice philosophy alongside your learnings of world news. In particular, stoicism and stoic philosophy can allow you to watch these external events and consider them as they are, but with the understanding that these things reside outside of your control which preserves your feelings and self from being affected by them. It really brings more power to you through anything you go through or experience.

Philosophers Who Addressed This Question

1.) Albert Camus

• Work: The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)

• Argument: Camus argues that life is absurd, meaning it is full of suffering and chaos without inherent meaning. However, he suggests that one can resist despair by embracing life with defiance and by finding meaning through action and creativity.

• Example: Camus likens human existence to Sisyphus, who is condemned to roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down. Camus proposes that we must “imagine Sisyphus happy,” finding joy in the act of persistence itself rather than in outcomes.

2.) Martha Nussbaum

• Work: Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions (2001)

• Argument: Nussbaum defends the idea that emotions like compassion and anger can be powerful motivators for justice but need to be tempered with rationality and self-care to avoid burnout. She advocates for a philosophy of practical engagement, where one maintains emotional investment in the world while creating boundaries to protect one’s mental well-being.

• Example: Nussbaum might suggest that instead of being overwhelmed by global problems, you focus on one specific issue you can influence—channeling compassion into tangible actions.

3.) Viktor Frankl

• Work: Man’s Search for Meaning (1946)

• Argument: As a Holocaust survivor, Frankl emphasizes the importance of finding purpose even in the face of suffering. He argues that meaning can be found in how we respond to suffering, whether through action, creativity, or how we endure hardships.

• Example: Even when facing immense global crises, Frankl might suggest asking, “What specific actions can I take to create meaning and contribute positively, no matter how small?

Recognize the problems which you have the power to solve, and the ones you don't. Fix what you can with mindfulness and compassion, accept what you can't with emotionless calm. Reevaluate periodically.

The cure for grief is action. Go to a DSA meeting, join a mutual aid society, volunteer at a community garden. Help out at a food pantry. Put the values you believe in back into the world.

I've blocked as much news out of my life as I can manage with the exception of some financial news. That includes blocking all the news communities on Lemmy. Things still slip through, but I also push myself to just ignore the bits that I still see and move on with my life. I'm much happier as a result. In terms of being aware of big news, if its a big enough deal, the fine folks here at Lemmy will create memes to let me know.

Build community locally, spend time with friends and family cultivating relationships, do something generous for someone else, volunteer for a charity or activism, build an interest in a creative hobby that exercises your imagination. Follow your curiosity and our common interests in discovery and exploration through education and experimentation.

It's indeed very difficult and my take is that the system wants us like this. To be depressed, full of fear and hopeless. Mainly of course through media.

What I considered one solution to fight back this is to discuss current events, solutions etc with a group of similar minded people. I don't mean join a cult etc. No far from it. But finding people with same concerns by openly discussing them will bond them into bigger groups and this helps a lot. Gives a sense of fulfilment and hope.

No fear. Act.

Get involved in direct action in your community. Linking up with an org or group that does real community service and solidarity can help prevent you from feeling helpless and falling into that depressive spiral.

Help at a soup kitchen, provide homeless care kits, work a food/clothing drive, work with a crew to clean up gang tags from walls, pick up litter, build bird boxes, etc.

Seeing your community get a little better can do a lot for your mental health.

Remember that dispite the horrors of our species, we have accomplished some pretty incredible things. Just 200 years ago, we were still putting leaches on people and not washing our hands before performing medical procedures.

Now, we use microscopic lasers to correct blindness, cure certain types or deafness by implanting magnets into skulls, we can deliver and grow infants that are born several months too early to full term with minimal complications, and we can treat scores of diseases that would have been a death sentence just 200 years ago.

The Capitalist scum would have you believe that nobody would have done those things unless they made money doing it, but that's a lie and projection. They wouldn't have done that if it didn't make them money, because they are evil and without empathy.

But they don't represent the human spirit, what we are truly capable of when we work together for the common good.

The greatest accomplishments of our species aren't when we compete and fight each other. The greatest accomplishments happen when we cooperate with each other. Don't let the rich and powerful convince you otherwise.

Let someone curate your news for you and don't doomscroll. I suggest PBS Newshour or one of the three major broadcast news programs.

I spend a ton of my time working in my community. It really helps. It's a lot of work and a lot of time and I'm exhausted all the time but it's worth it

That's the neat part, you don't.

Do something about it. I run an LGBT center and help homeless trans people get housing. You will be surprised how you can get stuff like this going just by talking to people (a lot, like every day, zealously). You don't need to be rich.

I'm surrounded by people that give a shit every day. We've made a bubble that can't pop.

You know you're going to die right ? How do you deal with that ? Philosophically, Stoicism has some of what I need for coping.

I'd also suggest that journalism is mostly interlectual trash that clutters your mind. Really important events will find their way to you.

An example, I'm not an American (i did live there back in the mid 1990s, before I relaised it wasn't for me) and I will likely Vote Green until I die. I'd prefer a livable biospbere and little better treament of minorities. Others prefer the opposite but their entreaties to get me to think their way won't work so why would I bother listening?

Journalism isnt really about reporting "news" but selling advertising.

I look at it as it's going to get worse. Guaranteed. But, as long as I can stand up and be ready for the people who are going to be persecuted when they need it. Helping my local community. Just maybe I can make a difference to the people around me who need it.

Donating and volunteering works great.

Join a political party that aligns with the change you want to see. Also belonging to a few leftist orgs to effect your local city.

If your a right winger then sorry its a case of living with that low mood.

Don't fall into doomerism - news companies are companies, and negativity gets people on their platforms for much longer than positivity, it's easy to get addicted to it. Set time limits or limit the amount of news you consume per day/per week.

Recognize that caring about something requires mental energy - if you had 1 friend who asks you to care about their hobby or learn a bit more, then you might agree, but if you have 20 friends with different hobbies asking the same thing, then there's no way you can care about all of them. Similar thing applies to the news, recognize that you can't care about everything and try learning how to stay informed without giving up lots of mental energy stressing about things you can't really influence.

It's admirable wanting to keep up with the news, but it also can be a bit of a trap and does require a degree of skill to not fall into what you describe in your post.

I stopped using social media so much, the internet is moved by clicks and panic content gets them, but I find it overwhelming.

Reading through all the other doomposts I felt obligated to share my view.

I read national/international news every day, and I'm still optimistic about humanity's future.

First off, I don't bother with local news at all. That really is just a cesspool of crime reporting. My dad summarized local news pretty well: "someone was murdered today, and heres some footage of blood on the pavement."

As far as national and international news goes, I read it because I think it's interesting and it's good to stay informed, but you can't use it as a barometer for how the world's doing, because news is just inherently negative. It doesn't mean the world is actually doing bad!

Which of the following do you think would get reported as a headline?

"Indonesia enjoys another year without a tsunami"

"Thousand killed as tsunami ravages Indonesian coast"

"Global poverty rate continues slow, steady decline"

"Millions at risk of starvation as African crops fail"

"Good news, no new deadly infectious diseases this year"

"Scientists raise alarm over spread of bird flu"

I think maybe it's helpful to think of the news not as objective reporting on the state of the world but rather like a police blotter that just logs bad things that have happened. And I think it's perfectly fine to tune it out and just live your life. If you're interested in a particular issue, like homelessness or an election maybe look at a less sensational information source like Wikipedia or something.

Also, just a little mini-rant: the two types of people who are most negative about the state of the world are religious missionaries and leftists. Because in order to convince you that the world needs a savior they have to convince you that we aren't on a path to do it ourselves. So, maybe steer clear of news on Lemmy as well haha

As we scroll through the endless inbox of our news feeds, there's a tendency not to want to spend a lot of time on most items, because there's an endless stream of them. So we tend to process each thing quickly, react instantly, and move on to the next one. Training yourself to slow down the reaction part and focus on just observing the information first, can help not build up an ever-growing mountain of depression and cynicism.

We are each just one person. We can't save the world, and it would be unreasonable to carry that burden.

But we each can save a small piece of it. A kind word here, a forgiving of slights there, and work in some patience & understanding for others.

Little things can make waves. And if Six Degrees of Separation remains true, your little deeds affect more people than you realize.

That's my secret, I'm always deeply depressed and cynical.

Communism.

I just try to channel Gramsci:

"You must realize that I am far from feeling beaten…it seems to me that… a man out to be deeply convinced that the source of his own moral force is in himself — his very energy and will, the iron coherence of ends and means — that he never falls into those vulgar, banal moods, pessimism and optimism. My own state of mind synthesises these two feelings and transcends them: my mind is pessimistic, but my will is optimistic. Whatever the situation, I imagine the worst that could happen in order to summon up all my reserves and will power to overcome every obstacle."

and this dude was dying in a fascist prison and able to hold this outlook. i find it inspiring

i was deeply depressed before i gained political awareness

Simple: I'm just naturally deeply depressed and cynical, so there isn't a big difference

One thing I do — and it sounds like you may have tried a version of this — is take media breaks (social media included). Go camping, read fiction, play video games or whatever floats your boat. You’ll almost always find that nothing major has changed and you were just dwelling on things beyond your control.

I’m not saying stick your head in the sand and pretend nothing is wrong. I’m more saying you can keep just as informed without wallowing in the news slop.

Compassion fatigue is a thing. You can try for some Buddhist state of Nirvana that would likely take a lifetime to pursue... Or you can start curating your input. Stop doom scrolling, look for positive science news and the like. There's plenty of positivity out there still, it's just not algorithm friendly.

The neat part is, you don't.

I have a personal petty war against the corposlop extortions in my life, I know it won't stop them or bring about a revolution or smth, but at least I can be an example to others that they need us more than we need them and it makes me at least feel that I have some control, some things that I can take back from being corrupted.

So far I have:

• Stopped buying all fast fashion and buy far fewer clothes in general mostly off Etsy back in the day or indie online retailers
• Cancelled my subscription to Netflix for me and my gf, replaced with Jellyfin
• Cancelled Amazon Prime and stopped shopping at Amazon altogether alongside getting my friends off Wish, Temu etc.
• Stopped using all food delivery and ride-sharing apps
• Stopped eating fast food and at big chains
• Moved most my grocery shopping to Co-Op
• Eliminated all corporate and/or algorithm driven social media from my life (Insta, FB, Reddit, Discord, LinkedIn, YT (only via self-hosted proxies/ublock/sponsorblock/dearrow).
• Stopped using corpo LLMs, using only my homebrew refine of Mistral 7B sometimes
• Stopped using Chrome, cancelled Google one and my sub to GDrive
• Almost stopped using Windows
• Replaced almost all daily use software with FOSS alternatives
• Almost entirely stopped buying any tech that isn't used and/or refurbished and/or old/junkyard material

Next steps are:

• Replace ISP router with junkyard rescue gear with FOSS software, mite b getting some from work soon
• Cancel Spotify as my last remaining subscription service (I have personal playlists I need to backup)
• Get rid of Google accs and host my own email
• Ascend past smartphones (already use only old flagships for less than a hundred bucks)

I feel like it's still all just in the consumption framework and highly individualistic, but it helps me cope, it's an outlet for anger that has bettered me as a person in every way imaginable.

I literally don't understand people having kids in this "climate". That's how cynical and hopeless I feel about humanity's future.

I wouldn't want to inflict that... The heat, the natural disasters, the risk of nuclear wars. The genocides considering multiple were or are active at any point (Palestine, Syria...). The fall of journalism...

Many things I discuss with my friends but nobody could ever dream to fix. So all this shit stays with you. And seeing how our politics are reacting to climate change, this is lost. Because everything else is pointless if you don't have a place to live.

I'm only one person. I cannot fix all of these problems because these problems have to be fixed by a collaborative effort through a unified group to make anything we want work. I did what I thought I could by voting, I did what I could by spreading the message with my own voice about the things I know with what I saw going south in this country. But again, I can't fix everything.

So, I can't worry about things I have no power in fixing, as much as I'd like.

Heavily filter what you consume. Following all news is not the morally correct thing to do, and you can cut back on it.

I'm fighting against this by staying off all social media other than Lemmy. All my news comes from a small number of curated sources, and only in RSS feeds (so I get them in time order rather than bullshit news site headlines prioritisation). I use a lot of keyword filters on Lemmy and in my RSS news (Covid, Trump, Biden, most American news, anything that is meaningless to me is blocked before it can show up on my screen).

TLDR news is a particularly good YouTube channel. They have really well presented news and pick out a few important events to report on. I find that's more than enough for me for news consumption.