There’s a saying that goes: “Tell me what makes you upset and I’ll tell you where you get your news.”
There’s a ring of truth there and it’s not because we’re easily led.
Most of our mass media platforms are optimized to deliver information that is focused on the worst things taking place in our world.
It’s intended to keep us alarmed, angry or fearful more so than keeping us well-informed.
When someone presents us with information in a way that causes anger rather than understanding, they are bringing more heat than light to the situation.
Of course, this can also apply to us and how we communicate with the people around us.
Our goal then, is to become seekers and bearers of light more so than heat when it comes to understanding the world around us.
If the media we’re consuming is leaving us feeling dark and hopeless, it’s a safe bet that we’re not accessing a source of light.
This doesn’t mean we put on rose-colored glasses and only listen to things that are easy to hear.
It means that we need to choose our information sources more carefully and discard those that are lacking light.
It also means that we should consider whether we are contributing more heat or light to the world when we engage with others.
Even difficult news can be delivered in non-inflammatory ways that enlighten or encourage.
We ought to choose to be a source of light rather than a source of heat.
More Light Than Heat