How insular are you?
Discussion
I sometimes wonder if I’m the exception or there are more like me than I think.
I don’t seem to have much interest now in the world in general outside of the happiness of my wife, kids and grandchildren. If I’ve got a roof over my head and money to live on then I’m good.
I never watch the news or buy papers. Quite honestly most of my information on outside events probably comes from PH if it is headline grabbing enough to turn up on np&e. Most things that occur in the world and my usual reaction is meh.
Could it be information overload? Why get upset about someone getting shot by the Met when if you wait a few weeks it’ll happen again. A specific example but you know what I mean. If you’ve seen one war you’ve seen them all kind of thing and after 67 years not a lot is new.
Anyone else feel similarly?
It's the way a lot of people are from my experience.
They live in a bubble.
I couldn't be like that, I WANT to know what's going on in the world because much of it affects me.
What do you talk about with friends or just others you come across in daily life if you're only interested in yourself ?
They live in a bubble.
I couldn't be like that, I WANT to know what's going on in the world because much of it affects me.
What do you talk about with friends or just others you come across in daily life if you're only interested in yourself ?
Edited by V8covin on Sunday 11th September 08:12
As I said recently on another thread on here I’m choosing to avoid news and mainstream media more and more now.
When I grew up (born 1984) we had limited TV and news was something that was on the telly at 6pm. I don’t think we need more than a couple of half hour programmes per day.
I can be quite content without TV or radio on. Probably spend far too much time on here though.
When I grew up (born 1984) we had limited TV and news was something that was on the telly at 6pm. I don’t think we need more than a couple of half hour programmes per day.
I can be quite content without TV or radio on. Probably spend far too much time on here though.
I used to read a newspaper and watch the news every day. Nowadays I do not.
The change wasn’t due to apathy, more that my career in my early and mid 30s took me to war zones and places where the things I saw daily, mainly related to total abject poverty, that could keep me awake at night and still stays with me. Then I’d read the news which seemed petty and closed minded.
Nowadays it’s easy to keep abreast of much of what is going on in the world via social media and forums. What isn’t reported now wasn’t ever reported anyway, but it’s easy for me also avoid a whole raft of reportage that people think seems important but really isn’t.
The change wasn’t due to apathy, more that my career in my early and mid 30s took me to war zones and places where the things I saw daily, mainly related to total abject poverty, that could keep me awake at night and still stays with me. Then I’d read the news which seemed petty and closed minded.
Nowadays it’s easy to keep abreast of much of what is going on in the world via social media and forums. What isn’t reported now wasn’t ever reported anyway, but it’s easy for me also avoid a whole raft of reportage that people think seems important but really isn’t.
I think Brexit switched a lot of people off news and current affairs. Whatever your view on the rights and wrongs it was over debated and drove a wedge through our country for years. I was an avid consumer of news media before then but these days hardly ever hear/see the news. That whole process was just so damaging in a lot of ways. Oh for a time machine!
I am becoming very much like the OP.
I watch hardly any tv and virtually no news as I don’t believe a lot of it and it is presented in a bias manner.
I have become increasingly disinterested in politics as I don’t trust or believe the majority of what they say – on the rare occasion they will answer a straight forward question with an answer.
I have become far less trusting of people.
I must conclude that I am becoming a cynical person.
I watch hardly any tv and virtually no news as I don’t believe a lot of it and it is presented in a bias manner.
I have become increasingly disinterested in politics as I don’t trust or believe the majority of what they say – on the rare occasion they will answer a straight forward question with an answer.
I have become far less trusting of people.
I must conclude that I am becoming a cynical person.
Pretty much
Last time i bought a newspaper, page 3 girls were still a thing.
I only have a tv to play XBox on or watch dvd’s/Netflix
I try to avoid news websites and in general couldn’t reall be bothered with world events as such.
Is my family okay? Do i have money? Yes? Then i’m all good.
Last time i bought a newspaper, page 3 girls were still a thing.
I only have a tv to play XBox on or watch dvd’s/Netflix
I try to avoid news websites and in general couldn’t reall be bothered with world events as such.
Is my family okay? Do i have money? Yes? Then i’m all good.
My Mum will be 90 next month. Despite her age, I can sit and have a conversation with her about just about anything as fluidly as I I can with any of my immediate peers. She is fully aware of what's going on in the world, has opinions that are rooted in fact and capable of changing those opinions if new facts come to light.
I compare her often to her immediate peers who I get to meet sometimes. They are are the opposite. They withdrew from the world sometime in the mid 90s I think. Their capacity for conversation is limited to whatever ailment they may happen to be suffering from and what they are planning on having for their tea.
Some might say if they are happy, what's the harm. But the thing is, they aren't. They're bitter at everything, confused with society and see nothing wrong referring to the bloke who runs the corner shop as a P@kki!
The difference is that my Mum continues to be interested in what's going on in the world. She watches, listens and reads the news. She remains fully engaged with society to the extent that I think she may be the oldest 'woke' in the UK.
My view is that much of the problems with the country, perhaps the world, today is that too many people adopt an insular approach to life. They have a comfort blanket in the shape a decent life and withdraw themselves from even having a peak outside. This leads to the formation of opinions that remain entrenched because they deny themselves the opportunity to consider opposing views. It's the 'I'm alright Jack' mentality from which much of the division in society today is rooted.
It's not just about watching the news. It's about being engaged with life and being interested in stuff. Apart from anything else, it's bloody interesting!
I compare her often to her immediate peers who I get to meet sometimes. They are are the opposite. They withdrew from the world sometime in the mid 90s I think. Their capacity for conversation is limited to whatever ailment they may happen to be suffering from and what they are planning on having for their tea.
Some might say if they are happy, what's the harm. But the thing is, they aren't. They're bitter at everything, confused with society and see nothing wrong referring to the bloke who runs the corner shop as a P@kki!
The difference is that my Mum continues to be interested in what's going on in the world. She watches, listens and reads the news. She remains fully engaged with society to the extent that I think she may be the oldest 'woke' in the UK.
My view is that much of the problems with the country, perhaps the world, today is that too many people adopt an insular approach to life. They have a comfort blanket in the shape a decent life and withdraw themselves from even having a peak outside. This leads to the formation of opinions that remain entrenched because they deny themselves the opportunity to consider opposing views. It's the 'I'm alright Jack' mentality from which much of the division in society today is rooted.
It's not just about watching the news. It's about being engaged with life and being interested in stuff. Apart from anything else, it's bloody interesting!
I think the UK is quite insular in general. People are on a whole social creatures but many seem really uptight (myself included) until the booze comes out (too much usually) and then we're too social. 
Regarding news and stuff, a lot of it seems to be pushing an agenda or narrative, much like politics. Smartphones, internet, social media and targeted marketing don't seem to be making anyone any happier either.
My daughter and her friends enjoy playing with simple sensory toys than spin or make funny noises. I think there's a real trend in people wanting to really block out the external chatter of the modern world (phones, iPads, fake news, social media overload) and get back to basics. That aspect of being insular I don't think is necessarily bad if it's mixed in with real life social interactions.
Regarding news and stuff, a lot of it seems to be pushing an agenda or narrative, much like politics. Smartphones, internet, social media and targeted marketing don't seem to be making anyone any happier either.
My daughter and her friends enjoy playing with simple sensory toys than spin or make funny noises. I think there's a real trend in people wanting to really block out the external chatter of the modern world (phones, iPads, fake news, social media overload) and get back to basics. That aspect of being insular I don't think is necessarily bad if it's mixed in with real life social interactions.
slopes said:
Pretty much
Last time i bought a newspaper, page 3 girls were still a thing.
I only have a tv to play XBox on or watch dvd’s/Netflix
I try to avoid news websites and in general couldn’t reall be bothered with world events as such.
Is my family okay? Do i have money? Yes? Then i’m all good.
This Last time i bought a newspaper, page 3 girls were still a thing.
I only have a tv to play XBox on or watch dvd’s/Netflix
I try to avoid news websites and in general couldn’t reall be bothered with world events as such.
Is my family okay? Do i have money? Yes? Then i’m all good.
Agree with the above, never seems to be any good news reported. I've never been one to watch the news or buy papers and also now deleted all social media so I don't get stuff forced upon me either, and I'm much happier. All I give a f
k about is what's going on in my immediate vicinity.
k about is what's going on in my immediate vicinity. Yazza54 said:
Agree with the above, never seems to be any good news reported. I've never been one to watch the news or buy papers and also now deleted all social media so I don't get stuff forced upon me either, and I'm much happier. All I give a fk about is what's going on in my immediate vicinity.
I think I'm at a stage when I would really like to delete Facebook/Whatsapp unfortunately its interwoven into my businessk about is what's going on in my immediate vicinity. V8covin said:
It's the way a lot of people are from my experience.
They live in a bubble.
I couldn't be like that, I WANT to know what's going on in the world because much of it affects me.
What do you talk about with friends or just others you come across in daily life if you're only interested in yourself ?
It might affect you, but you can't affect it so why bother? It's just a waste of time which (in the grand scheme of things) we don't have much of.They live in a bubble.
I couldn't be like that, I WANT to know what's going on in the world because much of it affects me.
What do you talk about with friends or just others you come across in daily life if you're only interested in yourself ?
Some of us don't want to be 'affected'.
There are a million and one interesting and unselfish things to talk about which aren't anything to do with what is going on in the wider World.
Punctilio said:
Such behaviour is all very well, but what happens at social gatherings ?
Your total lack of interest of anything outside your own tiny bubble must
make you someone to avoid conversation-wise.
Nah, people I speak to in real life are interesting to me. What I don't wanna hear about is negative news that's forced upon me by the media that holds no bearing on my life in any way shape or form. Your total lack of interest of anything outside your own tiny bubble must
make you someone to avoid conversation-wise.
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