Do You Ever Want to Step Away From It All?
An open discussion for those who are torn between improving the world and staying sane
Welcome, Humans
The title of this story is a legitimate question that I want to ask you. Do you ever feel the need to step away from the polarized insanity of the internet, society, and politics? At the same time, do you feel like stepping away is the worst thing you could possibly do at a time when the world feels like it’s regressing into barbarism? If you’re like me, the thought of unplugging while the fate of society is in flux feels akin to the belief that politics and “normal life” do not overlap.
It almost feels like pulling back from the noise means embracing the “ignorance is bliss” way of life that conservatives use as a buffer to gleefully act as if everything is just dandy. But does it really mean that?
I ask all this because if it sounds accurate, I hear you, and I find myself torn as well.
I want to take this opportunity to share a bit of introspection. And I hope that you’ll have some thoughts of your own to share after reading.
Since blogging is largely a one-way conversation by nature, I want to make this an open discussion instead. I’d love to learn how you cope with, tolerate, or power through any conflicting emotions as you navigate these divided times. After all, complex emotions are a unique part of the human experience, so it’s important that we analyze, discuss and respect them.
My Thoughts as of Late
Okay, so why am I torn? It’s because on one hand, I know it’s important to be aware of current events and to actively support the progressive initiatives our society so desperately needs. But at the same time, doesn’t it feel like these initiatives can only be realized at the expense of your own sanity?
After all, there are a lot of backwards-thinkers out there who proudly and ruthlessly oppose any effort to bolster our togetherness as human beings and the world we inhabit. On that note, I recently wrote about how it’s best to not even bother trying to change peoples’ minds when they’re set in their regressive ways.
But let’s be honest, just knowing that those people are out there is enough to make you hate the world we’ve made, isn’t it? Seeing them rage against science and reason day after day is emotionally and mentally taxing.
However, I strongly believe that calling out and addressing regressive behavior is central to making the world a more vibrant and inclusive place. After all, we need to understand and embrace our flaws so that we can effectively correct them. But this requires us to dig deeply into uncomfortable issues.
And I don’t know about you, but focusing on the problem areas of society even with the intention of proposing and backing positive solutions makes me apprehensive, bitter, angry, and often times, depressed.
Making a Mess to Clean Things Up?
I realize I feel this way because 1) it consumes my energy and commands my attention such that I rarely want to do the things I used to enjoy, and 2) it feels as if any effort to change the world has virtually zero impact on society at large. In fact, sometimes I wonder if it makes things worse.
Looking back over the writing I’ve published on Medium so far, I’m realizing just how negative it all is. Sure, I can add a positive call to action after addressing troubling social issues. But will my thoughts actually inspire anyone to band together and push for focused, tangible change?
It feels like we’re all just here to vent and clap for stories that resonate with our ideology. That’s certainly what I find myself doing, and I imagine I’m not the only one. Rather than reading to expand my own imagination and intellectual capacity, I’ve been equipping material for the sake of debate, which ultimately only causes more stress.
Half the time though, I tolerate the stress because I feel like I have so much to say about the state of the world. But I can’t help but wonder if my time and energy would be better spent focusing on, or even writing about, the things that make me happy. Would I be abandoning the progressive cause by doing this? Or would taking a new approach actually inspire people to support positive change instead of opposing the backwards-thinkers? (I know these often go hand-in-hand, but I’m referring to our tendency to focus on the negative without simultaneously promoting the positive).
It honestly feels like it’ll take stepping away from everything — social media, work, life at home — for some time to reset and find my answer.
What Can We Do Anyway?
After all, who am I to expect that my writing or other creative endeavors will inspire positive change, especially when the world of social media and instant gratification has minimized our collective attention span? How can any of us expect to make a difference if we aren’t in a position of power or possess significant social authority? Yes, we could potentially have strength in numbers, but the playing field is just a shouting contest. Which platforms can we, as ordinary people, even use effectively when there are millions of others screaming into the void at the same time? And is anyone even listening? Or just gearing up for debate?
The internet is so saturated with opinions that rising above the noise while writing these stories seems like a pipe dream. Moreover, pushing beyond the pipe dream zone would mean devoting all my time and energy to activism, which I don’t necessarily want to do. But again, it’s hard not to want to do that because I still want to help.
Hopefully by now you understand my dilemma.
WWYD? (What Would You Do?)
So now that I’ve had my time to mope, I turn this over to you. I want to know how you — whether you’re a fellow Medium author for the Politically Speaking publication or if you’re a reader who stumbled upon this story by chance — maintain your sanity in such a divided world? Do you rely on humor to reduce the severity of the dangers we face? Do you step away from the noise to ground yourself? Do read opinions from both sides of the aisle to promote unity? Did you move to a location or settle into an online community that shares your same mindset so you feel safe in a familiar bubble?
Perhaps you alternate between political debate and self-development and/or leisure. If so, how do you prevent the stressful world of your inner activist from affecting your “you” time?
Again, these aren’t just rhetorical questions — I’m actually curious!
Because these days I can’t even take a walk the woods without thinking “those heartless conservatives would rather see this forest burn than miss out on an opportunity to make a profit.” And while I believe that’s true, it’s also a great way to ruin an afternoon.
So I’m excited to learn what coping methods you employ and to continue this discussion so that we can lift each other up and offer some clarity and peace. Maybe we all need to embrace our inner Henry David Thoreau and spend some time beside a Walden Pond to take a deep breath and get in touch with our true, human selves. Maybe if we all did this, things wouldn’t be so heated and we could actually work together to solve problems.
