The choice we make of how we dispose our consciousness is the ultimate creative act: it renders the world what it is. It is, therefore, a moral act: it has consequences.
—Iain McGilchrist, The Matter with Things
Attention is often described as a spotlight: a narrow beam you control to reveal different parts of the world.
This metaphor makes some intuitive sense but it obscures more than it reveals.
It’s considered good and upstanding to stay on top of world affairs. You want to be educated about the world, right? But there is so much to keep up on. So much injustice to counter.
I’m here to tell you that the world needs you to consume less news. I know you’re doing it from a good place but I think you should take a break.
First, the expectation to “stay on top of things” is a modern invention. Something only possible during the most recent fraction of human history. For most of history, news travelled slowly—by word of mouth, by post, by pigeon. Now it shrieks at us from every screen, 24/7. This is not normal. It’s not neutral either.