# Are you depressed by the state of affairs in the world?



## Ralphy1 (Oct 7, 2014)

Some pundits say that economic insecurity, ongoing social upheavals, incompetent governments, insurgent wars and the threat of terrorism have caused people worldwide to despair over their children's future.  Methinks that there have always been problems for people to overcome and they have, so I am an optimist, how about you?


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## Ms Sam (Oct 7, 2014)

My glass is always half full and when I wake up I choose happiness .. everyday.
Don't worry, be happy.


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## Debby (Oct 7, 2014)

I think we're at a crossroads and down one road lies misery and the destruction of the environment and a potential 'Mad Max' scenario or maybe even 'Waterworld' and down the other lies a world that we can all be proud of turning over to future generations.  And it's too early to tell which way we'll go.  But it's not looking good.  Too much hegemony in the world to say yet and not nearly enough will to getting along in harmony.


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## Ralphy1 (Oct 7, 2014)

Some would say that you are a Pollyanna...


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## Ms Sam (Oct 7, 2014)

Some would and they'd be right.  
I am embracing my inner hippy.


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## Warrigal (Oct 7, 2014)

I am Pollyanna.


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## Ms Sam (Oct 7, 2014)

Do you play the Glad Game, too, Dame?


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## QuickSilver (Oct 7, 2014)

Not me...  There are times, I tune out of the news and politics and watch a cooking show.   However, that only last so long and I'm back into it.  I feel I  have to at least have an idea what is going on..  How do people cast votes if they don't know the issues?


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## Cookie (Oct 7, 2014)

Hello, yes, lately the news has been pretty awful, and I get anxious if I think about it too much. But I agree, it's been bad all along in every way. I keep myself basically informed, but try to focus on my own life and have some confidence in the leaders working things out - eventually. With the media so prevalent, we are inundated with information that wasn't available in the old days, so of course it looks like its worse, and with the population so huge there is so much more going on everywhere.  Sometimes its nice to take a holiday from the news.


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## Davey Jones (Oct 7, 2014)

Cookie said:


> Hello, yes, lately the news has been pretty awful, and I get anxious if I think about it too much. But I agree, it's been bad all along in every way. I keep myself basically informed, but try to focus on my own life and have some confidence in the leaders working things out - eventually. With the media so prevalent, we are inundated with information that wasn't available in the old days, so of course it looks like its worse, and with the population so huge there is so much more going on everywhere.  Sometimes its nice to take a holiday from the news.




Its time to throw out last years pumpkin


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## QuickSilver (Oct 7, 2014)

Cookie said:


> Hello, yes, lately the news has been pretty awful, and I get anxious if I think about it too much. But I agree, it's been bad all along in every way. I keep myself basically informed, but try to focus on my own life and have some confidence in the leaders working things out - eventually. With the media so prevalent, we are inundated with information that wasn't available in the old days, so of course it looks like its worse, and with the population so huge there is so much more going on everywhere. Sometimes its nice to take a holiday from the news.



Unfortunately the information we are often inundated with is false, especially the political information. You have to dig into several sources to get even remotely close to the truth.  American media is owned and operated by only a few very wealthy corporations... so their slant on the news may not be very accurate.   the BBC.. OR Al Jazeera America seem to report more unbiased info.  These days.. virtually everything is politicized.. expecially in an election year.  Even the ebola outbreak is being used to score political points so close to an election.


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## Cookie (Oct 7, 2014)

yes, again agree to all these things - the information is slated or false, corruption, wars, politics, disease - really, nowhere to run - sometimes would like to just escape to some faraway mountain retreat and pretend this does not exist -- what choice to we have now - we can only make positive changes within ourselves and our small circles of influence - whatever they may be, do our best even if it doesn't seem to amount to much, at least we are trying to live our lives well and do some good in the world.


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## Cookie (Oct 7, 2014)

Hi,
cute, I tried to attach a small picture, but something went amiss and the photo was huge -  will have another go at it, after studying the instructions.  Any suggestions?


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## Cookie (Oct 7, 2014)

Hey, I like your style, love beads anyone?


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## Debby (Oct 7, 2014)

Ralphy1 said:


> Some would say that you are a Pollyanna...




I don't think I've ever heard that reference Ralph.  What does it mean?


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## ClassicRockr (Oct 7, 2014)

I get depressed when I hear about all the vehicle accidents that kill people/crime/murders that happen. Government needs to work on two things........overseas and here in the "good old USA"!


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## Geezerette (Oct 7, 2014)

Google Pollyanna. It originated from a long ago childrens' book about an orphan who always tried to keep an optimistic attitude in spite of being emotionally abused and unloved. Rising above it all, sort of.


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## Geezerette (Oct 7, 2014)

I am bothered by a lot of things in the news. Was sad when the JFK era optimism went down the tubes. Bothered about how many American and Allied lives were lost and ruined in Iraq and Afgh and we still lost the war there. Bothered  by how much corruption in government and business in our own country, let alone abroad. Bothered that the civilized Western World including America had been pouring untold billions of $ and human  7 material resources into the African countries for well over a  century, and it just gets absorbed without making the least bit of difference. Bothered by the extreme viciousness of fanatic muslim males and their seemingly endless supply of resources.


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## AprilT (Oct 7, 2014)

I am deeply disturbed by the state of affairs at home and around the world, now and in the past, some days those feelings are more exaggerated and I would like to shut it out, but being a news junkie, have been since my teens, so me completely shutting out the news just isn't going to happen.  I get anxious if I don't know what's going on around me day to day, it feels like a part of me is missing if I'm unaware of the days events.  That's not to say, I've never missed a news report, I have.  

I do much to not obsess over the ails of society on a hour by hour moment by moment continuing.  That's one reason I join forums to get away from it all, but, we see how well that's working out.  LOL.  It is however important to be able to compartmentalize things and not let it all consume you.  Sometimes it really does drag me down, but then I realize what I'm doing isn't helping improve anything by sulking, so I either find something else to occupy my mind or see if there something I can do to contribute to help in some way somewhere, if not, there's always a good book to be had.   

Finding ways to change my mode of thinking, that's what I do in all of my situations when I get down, I own the moments, sometimes, cry my tears, sometimes the moments are long it really depends on the cause, but, I generally find my way to clearer thinking and put my focus elsewhere.  Not to say the glum won't come back, there are news stories that just tear your heart out and you think, that's it, no more, I can't do this, I can't hear another story like this and so you click the news off, but mostly for those particular stories.

Here in Florida, there's a news story of a child going missing every week.  There's a story of a kid that won't ever leave my mind about a little boy who lived in NY that wanted to be a big boy and walk home on his own for the first time.  The kid never made it home, he was snatched up off the street, mutilated.  Right now I'm sorry I even recalled the story.  I cry every time I recall it.  There've been others before and since, but, I just can't forget that kid and his innocence and his life snatched away from him.  I think of his parents and then, I catch myself and realize, I have to re-channel my thoughts or I will get very depressed.  

Now aren't you glad you asked.


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## BobF (Oct 7, 2014)

I will have to bo back to Al Jazerra again.    I tried a few months back as some said lots of good for them.    To me it was a lot of hooey and not much what I considered worth reading.   So I stopped going there for current news.   Maybe I should try again.   Depends on how those folks speak about things if I believe it or not.


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## RadishRose (Oct 7, 2014)

Sometimes I feel like this :


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## SeaBreeze (Oct 7, 2014)

Cookie said:


> Hi,
> cute, I tried to attach a small picture, but something went amiss and the photo was huge -  will have another go at it, after studying the instructions.  Any suggestions?



Hope this helps Cookie...



> You can upload a photo from your computer by clicking on the "Insert Image" icon above your post
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Cookie (Oct 7, 2014)

Thanks, Seabreeze.  I'll try those for photo album and other items. I did reduce the image size before copying and it seemed to be accepted as avatar.  Learning as I go.


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## Kitties (Oct 7, 2014)

I don't think humans are every going to stop this, I'll just say, stuff. When have we not been killing each other some place I wonder?

I know this is centered, but I sure wish for rain in California.


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## Warrigal (Oct 7, 2014)

Ms Sam said:


> Do you play the Glad Game, too, Dame?



I do. I was playing it today in the doctor's waiting room.


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## chic (Oct 8, 2014)

Geezerette said:


> I am bothered by a lot of things in the news. Was sad when the JFK era optimism went down the tubes. Bothered about how many American and Allied lives were lost and ruined in Iraq and Afgh and we still lost the war there. Bothered by how much corruption in government and business in our own country, let alone abroad. Bothered that the civilized Western World including America had been pouring untold billions of $ and human 7 material resources into the African countries for well over a century, and it just gets absorbed without making the least bit of difference. Bothered by the extreme viciousness of fanatic muslim males and their seemingly endless supply of resources.



Well said.

I don't feel depressed by the state of the world as I am increasingly feeling angry about it and wish I could do more to change things.


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## Ralphy1 (Oct 8, 2014)

I try to remember that "we live in the best of times and we live in the worst of times" just as we always have...


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## Ameriscot (Oct 8, 2014)

I find listening to the news very depressing.  The world is a mess! I'd like to just cut out listening to it sometimes, but my DH is very involved in UK politics and wants to know everything that is going on, plus whatever is going on in the world.


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## oakapple (Oct 8, 2014)

I'm with Ralphy on this one. Too much news coming at us means we are kept in a fearful mindset.Things are no  worse then they ever were, and in lots of ways, better.It's just that we are well informed now [too informed.]


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## QuickSilver (Oct 8, 2014)

And so many goofy conspiracy theories.. all of which are nonsense and have been disproven.. yet some "sources"   ie FOX news keeps repeating them over and over.. and eventually people believe them. It seems President Obama has awoken all the loonies.


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## Ameriscot (Oct 8, 2014)

QuickSilver said:


> And so many goofy conspiracy theories.. all of which are nonsense and have been disproven.. yet some "sources"   ie FOX news keeps repeating them over and over.. and eventually people believe them. It seems President Obama has awoken all the loonies.



Agree!


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## Denise1952 (Oct 8, 2014)

I don't dwell a lot on anything I don't believe I can change Ralphy, but I do think about the children in our world.  I don't have any of my own, but I have many friends with kids and grandkids so I have concern, not literal depression.  

Regarding the world in general, I have sadness for sure, but once in awhile I meet people, hear something, see something, that makes me smile and just be glad to be alive, no matter the wreckage going on in "out there".


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## BobF (Oct 8, 2014)

QuickSilver said:


> And so many goofy conspiracy theories.. all of which are nonsense and have been disproven.. yet some "sources"   ie FOX news keeps repeating them over and over.. and eventually people believe them. It seems President Obama has awoken all the loonies.



Can you repeat some of those wrong theories.    I have no idea what you are talking of.


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## Denise1952 (Oct 8, 2014)

Kitties said:


> I don't think humans are every going to stop this, I'll just say, stuff. When have we not been killing each other some place I wonder?
> 
> I know this is centered, but I sure wish for rain in California.



We (in South Coast Oregon) are due for rain off that hurricane.  At least that's what my sister saw reported.  Maybe you guys will get some of it, hopefully.


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## Denise1952 (Oct 8, 2014)

QuickSilver said:


> And so many goofy conspiracy theories.. all of which are nonsense and have been disproven.. yet some "sources"   ie FOX news keeps repeating them over and over.. and eventually people believe them. It seems President Obama has awoken all the loonies.



No television station tells all the facts, and no station gets them all  right (their made up of humans, finite, imperfect humans). People have their choices in who has the best reports, and they  have a right to that, thank goodness.  Certain people in history have  tried to "force" others to see things their way, and I do mean force,  but no one can force a mind, short of true, brain-washing, or drugs I  suppose.

Even the narrow-minded that won't even consider "hearing" another side has the right to be narrow-minded, and I for one would fight to preserve that right as well.


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## BobF (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you for that note nwlady.   That really does make sense.   FOX NEWS is only one of the stations I watch for news.   FOX NEWS does have a range of programs that vary from open, to left or right, in their leaning.    Which is why I watch them    They seem to be, to me, more centered than many of the other channels that go really far left for some or far right for others.


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