[redbeard]

I definitely agree that there is a limit on how productive your time reading the news can be, but you can't completely write off what's going on in the world. Is there reason to watch the 6 o'clock news for an hour? No. All the MSM wants to do is distract you from what's going on. But, I think there are definitely reasons to be somewhat familiar with what's going on.

What if you hear about the latest tech trend and decide to invest? I can't remember who it was, but MikeCF had a guest on his podcast who made about $80k off investments in 3-D printing.

The Ukraine conflict could definitely affect your travel plans. What if the embargo with Cuba ends?

And for me, as an American, I like being involved in the elections. The average citizen here will see elections as a Red vs. Blue issue, but for me it's much more. In between election years, I read up on what I think government should look like by reading and then when election time comes around, I choose who best embodies that. This is on a local and national level. Most people will blindly follow whatever party, or whichever person, they like more. That thinking is causing the decline of this nation.

The only part of the presidential race I care about is the Republican Primary, to see which is the lesser of the evils. Even in that race, I voted for the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, so that he could try to gain entrance into the final debates.

However, I think that news, like the internet, needs to be viewed as a tool and not a source for entertainment. As long as we are using the news as a resource, and not the other way around, there isn't too much harm being done.

[RockHard]

I haven't totally stopped with news, but it's something I do on breaks and try to time-limit it. I don't watch TV news at all, even SportsCenter is pretty much out. My whole thing is "what can I do about this?" During the last pres. election I got wrapped up in it and after the election I was still watching CNBC in the mornings, and all it did was make me stressed out. I figured out what it was - I was feeding my brain all this information about stuff that had minimal effect on me and that I couldn't control anyway. So I'll follow along with some of it (don't want to be the dude who doesn't know who's President) but I always remember that the news is mostly entertainment, unless it's something that affects me or that I can do something about.

[testos111]

Haven't read a newspaper for over 4 years now.

This was covered in the Four Hour Work Week too, but I actually got inspired to do it from something far more older - SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The original book, no the gay series that people watch nowadays.

I really believe everyone should read that book. More than the mysteries, it's actually a very deep examination of the human mind.

One of Sherlock's attributes was that he had purposely no knowledge of anything that would not be helpful for him, and that included news and politics. He only cared for something if it had an impact on his life. The first time I read it I just felt good reading that part. And now I realize that most of things written in that book were very red pill. This book was written in the 19th century I think. Massive respect for Doyle.

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(04-03-2014 12:56 PM)testos111 Wrote:  

Haven't read a newspaper for over 4 years now.

This was covered in the Four Hour Work Week too, but I actually got inspired to do it from something far more older - SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The original book, no the gay series that people watch nowadays.

Conan Doyle wrote 4 Sherlock Holmes novels, which one are you referring to?

[testos111]

(04-03-2014 02:16 PM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

(04-03-2014 12:56 PM)testos111 Wrote:  

Haven't read a newspaper for over 4 years now.

This was covered in the Four Hour Work Week too, but I actually got inspired to do it from something far more older - SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The original book, no the gay series that people watch nowadays.

Conan Doyle wrote 4 Sherlock Holmes novels, which one are you referring to?

I had the the all-in-one book. I think this comes somewhere in the beginning, when Sherlock is introduced. So my guess is the first novel.

[Sonsowey]

The same could probably be said about the manosphere. I cant say my time here is really productive, more of a distraction once you absorb certain basic messages.

[Beyond Borders]

More relevant than ever.

And I'd wager more controversial of an idea here than ever too.

Which is why...Bump.

[JStrongbow]

Like the post! Makes a lot of sense to me....

[Batman_]

I've felt like this most of my life and people are surprised I don't stay up on current events. I think news ultimately just serves as another way of distracting yourself and nothing else. The constant news about Trump for instance has been done ad nauseam before he was even elected, yes we get it he's a baffoon; why does the media obsess over every little think he does?

I mean really, if something is truly newsworthy, you're going to hear about it through word of mouth. The big picture stuff does matter to some degree but it doesn't require watching the news and constantly staying informed. Day to day events literally do not matter; I've noticed time and time again that current events are completely forgotten about in a few months. I remember the whole Kony thing was huge back in 2012, and after some funny memes in the aftermath it died literally a month later, and since then no one has ever talked about it again. This is pretty much the case with every major news story, it's talked about obsessively and then completely forgotten about in a few weeks or less.

I find it all highly irritating. To me the only reason to watch the news is to have something to talk about with people, but there are far more interesting and important things to discuss (existentialism, self development, managing your mind, etc)

[aeroektar]

I personally try to avoid all of it. Nevermind the 24hr cable news cycle, which is complete cancer, even here reading about things like the Christchurch shooting does no good. People debate, nothing improves.

There's a lot of overlap between the news and outrage porn, it all serves the same purpose, to distract and stir people up.

There's no need for someone on the other side of the planet, or continent really in many cases, to concern himself and constantly be up to date with the issues of communities he'll never associate with.

It's all a product of the globalism and big government experiment that failed humanity during our lifetime, which desperately needs to be dismantled so we can return to local governments and focus on our communities and direct relationships.

[Phanes]

I used to intentionally not follow the news after getting that message from the 4 hour workweek. After telling a person this and he responding that it is isolating yourself I changed my mind. Lately I started following the news again and it makes me feel less isolated. I believe it is a way of connecting to those that have immense power in this world and that makes me feel better. It's also a way for me to connect to my parents, they watch TV-news every day.

[Kurgan]

I just read them for entertainment and events going on and that's I use the news and newspaper for.

The local newspaper here in Western New York is a mouthpiece for Democrats and they're not ashamed of that. I started seeing bits of the NPC's when I noticed several articles were just repeats of rheotoric.

Someone once told me here on that news companies are just corporations telling people what they want to hear.

[semibaron]

I think it's good to invest some time in reading newspaper / watching news to get a knowledge stock about the world.
Once you can put things into perspective you can stop following the news.

[Thrill Jackson]

It's all fun and games until America goes batshit crazy and your being accused of some shit you never did by a wamen.

I stayed away from the news before joining the forum and had no idea of this believe wamen shit and it almost ruined my life.

So it's good to always keep and eye out on what's going on just don't dig too deep. It becomes counter productive

[Ski pro]

If I want news I come here.

[Jetset]

The sweet spot for efficiency is in weekly publications. Outlets that publish daily or in real-time have too much incentive to come up with filler. WSJ Weekend is also a good alternative to a daily newspaper.

[Robert High Hawk]

The more local news is, the more relevant it is to your life. That's all the more reason why the death of local newspapers is a real tragedy for society. People get disconnected from local news that matters, and instead focus on ridiculous and abstract sensationalism that passes for mainstream news today. A devastating Cyclone in the South Pacific should barely be a whisper in a local newspaper, but now it will be a huge story that takes up your attention and raises anxiety as you see live footage of death and disruption in Papua New Guinea.

Coverage of Mass shootings applies here too. Why does some nutcase killing people in Topeka Kansas have to do with your daily life in Anchorage, Alaska? It shouldn't, but now because of global mainstream news, events even in New Zealand are being used to justify gun policy in the USA. It's so ridiculous. We SHOULD read the news, the local newspaper, and start caring about what is happening in our local communities.