“The news is everywhere, the majority of it is free, and it sidles automatically into your brain. You don’t have to store it anywhere, and there’s nothing to dispose of afterwards. These ‘negative obstacles’ are what make the news so insidious."

• Who read the news today?
• Who understand the world better because of it?

The word news is derived from the Latin word novus, meaning new. It refers to "new things" or "new tidings". If news is about “what’s new,” why does it often feel repetitive, shallow, and even anxiety-inducing?

People following the news are walking around with a completely "false sense of risk". They reflect this negatively in their daily lives. They constantly fear terrorism while overlooking the impact of chronic stress. They focus on annual flood disasters but turn a blind eye to melting glaciers. They monitor food inflation daily through economic news and stock up on supplies, yet they fail to remember the over 800 million people struggling with hunger worldwide. They care about their own opinions, but never take actions.

Most of our opinions are superfluous, yet we don’t hesitate to share them. Why? Because it keeps us connected to the news. For instance, when we write about the tragedy in Palestine, it gives us a sense of empathy and softens us. But, this feeling is nothing more than an "act of self-deceit".

You become what you give your attention to...

Epictetus warned that the news has the power to shape us, and if we don’t actively choose what we follow, we risk developing poor character. Similarly, Seneca advised: “You must linger among a limited number of master-thinkers, and digest their works,” as a path to wisdom.

The ability to choose what truly matters is essential to living a good life. Our minds are overloaded, and they need cleansing and purging of unnecessary clutter, not the constant addition of more. In this age, even though adding is easier than removing, "removing is far more valuable".