“你为什么总是关注负面新闻？”
A couple of days ago, I read a post by Liu Yan, a writer, broadcaster, and English buff (by this I mean a pro, someone who is obsessed with something and excels at it), whose talent deserves more attention than he has received. In it, he shared with his readers the negative feelings—irresistible sentiments washing over him—he had with regard to what he had read in the news a few days earlier. I could totally relate to him.
If you and I are friends on WeChat or if you follow me on Weibo, you are likely to have the impression that I pay too much attention to negative news and that I am unappreciative of good things in life. On the first, you are spot on; the second? you are wrongheaded.
I admit that I follow bad news, by some standards, even to the point of obsession. How could I not? I am a heavy consumer of news and social media, and it's simply impossible to mentally filter undesirable news. Even if I could, say by dint of algorithm-based "smart" recommendations, I wouldn't because allowing that to happen amounts to giving up my free will, and more crucially, the chance to know and assess information using free will.
I know some people prefer to live in their cocoon of 岁月静好, but not me. I'd rather be exposed to reality, good or bad, for I know bad things cannot be wished away. To me, watching bad news does not necessarily mean that I have to be adversely affected by it. In other words, it is about how to digest and make of bad news, and ultimately, how to come to terms with it.
It’s hard for me to turn a blind eye to bad news also because I feel relatable to people and their misfortunes. Reading bad news is for me to mentally go through the experience undergone by the unfortunate. What if I were them? What if I were not as lucky as them? What if one day I ran into the dire situation they are in?
Yes, I am compassionate and I pray for the suffering, but I also derive strength from them. People suffer, but they hold up and carry on. The stamina and resilience manifested in people everywhere is extraordinary—a rich source of vigor.
There are times when the weight of bad news can be overwhelming. It can get suffocating. I have learned to tune in, and more importantly, tune out of reality in order to function the way I please. Sometimes it’s a matter of balancing good and bad for me. I have over the years developed, so to speak, a mental equilibrium.
When I am overwhelmed, I seek solace in music, sometimes the Power Songs list, sometimes the soothing spiritual tunes. Alternatively, I look up to leading lights in every field so that I have a reinforced sense that there is something beautifully lasting and enduring about humanity, and I’m part of it. It feels inspiring and uplifting.
See? I am an optimist at heart. Bad news is not bad after all. As mature thinking beings with a soul, we cannot eschew it any more than we can eschew our destiny. It's how we come to terms with it that counts.
孟庆伟 Justin
个人微信 ID：justinqmeng
现象级英语联合创始人
《经济学人》11 年研究者
雅思写作 8 分，口语 8 分
题图：Beyond in Africa
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