Hope (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

From Axios today. 
 

Think about it: Most people you meet in everyday life — at work, in the neighborhood — are decent and normal. Even nice. But hit Twitter or watch the news, and you'd think we were all nuts and nasty. 

Why it matters: The rising power and prominence of the nation's loudest, meanest voices obscures what most of us personally experience: Most people are sane and generous — and too busy to tweet. 

Reality check: It turns out, you're right. We dug into the data and found that, in fact, most Americans are friendly, donate time or money, and would help you shovel your snow. They are busy, normal and mostly silent.

These aren't the people with big Twitter followings or cable-news contracts — and they don't try to pick fights at school board meetings.

So the people who get the clicks and the coverage distort our true reality. 

Three stats we find reassuring:

 75% of people in the U.S. never tweet.

On an average weeknight in January, just 1% of U.S. adults watched primetime Fox News (2.2 million). 0.5% tuned into MSNBC (1.15 million).

Nearly three times more Americans (56%) donated to charities during the pandemic than typically give money to politicians and parties (21%).

The bottom line: Every current trend suggests politics will get more toxic before it normalizes. But the silent majority gives us hope beyond the nuttiness.

 

[Kal El]

I’ve found that cutting out cable news entirely, treating politics like the curse that it is, and focusing on the things I can change, I feel better.

 

[FairWarning]

I feel for the 21% who donate to political campaigns.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I rarely see nastiness and nuttiness on Twitter because I don’t follow nasty and nutty people.

 

[Sabertooth]

I rarely see nastiness and nuttiness on Twitter because I don’t follow nasty and nutty people.

I’ll do you one better, I don’t have Twitter at all. Never have.  No Instagram or Snapchat either.  

 

[Sabertooth]

I’ve found that cutting out cable news entirely, treating politics like the curse that it is, and focusing on the things I can change, I feel better.

Same.  To be honest once Biden won, I just lost all interest.  Like I was just exhausted so I stopped watching and reading about most of this stuff.  I’ve focused on cleaning up my finances instead and I’m almost there. Next up, I gotta lose 30 lbs (again). 

 

[Kal El]

Same.  To be honest once Biden won, I just lost all interest.  Like I was just exhausted so I stopped watching and reading about most of this stuff.  I’ve focused on cleaning up my finances instead and I’m almost there. Next up, I gotta lose 30 lbs (again). 

I cut it out way back when Trump first got in, and it was great, until this place pulled me back in. Of course, now I’m only here to get updates on the war in Ukraine and dunk on Putin, which never gets old.

 

[BassNBrew]

Thanks for posting this @Joe Bryant

 

[bostonfred]

Same.  To be honest once Biden won, I just lost all interest.  Like I was just exhausted so I stopped watching and reading about most of this stuff.  I’ve focused on cleaning up my finances instead and I’m almost there. Next up, I gotta lose 30 lbs (again). 

Join us in the otis fad diet thread.  A bunch of us getting back on the diet wagon myself included. 

 

[whoknew]

I disagree with the premise. Most people aren't decent and normal. Sure they are decent and normal to friends and family. And they can put on a front for a little bit. But overall, most people suck. They care only about themselves and a few people around them. 

 

[quick-hands]

I disagree with the premise. Most people aren't decent and normal. Sure they are decent and normal to friends and family. And they can put on a front for a little bit. But overall, most people suck. They care only about themselves and a few people around them. 

That's not suck.   That's how humans have survived for a million years.     

Now they suck?   People who say that seem to be mad because people won't do what "they" think they should.

 

[Summer Wheat]

Also media wants you to believe all whites hate blacks and all blacks hate whites.

In my day to day life that just is not so. Out of 350 million people of course there are exceptions.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I disagree with the premise. Most people aren't decent and normal. 

Don’t most people have to be normal? Definitionally, at least.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I’ll do you one better, I don’t have Twitter at all. Never have.  No Instagram or Snapchat either.  

Same here.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I get that people here don't have Twitter. 

To be fair though, I'm afraid you can substitute "footballguys political forum" for Twitter in the article.  We're not avoiding what the article is talking about by just not having Twitter.

My Edit:

Think about it: Most people you meet in everyday life — at work, in the neighborhood — are decent and normal. Even nice. But visit the PSF or watch the news, and you'd think we were all nuts and nasty. 

It's a call for us all to better.

 

[joffer]

I rarely see nastiness and nuttiness on Twitter because I don’t follow nasty and nutty people.

same.  You don’t like what you’re seeing on your feed, change it.  Never understood this.

 

[squistion]

Also media wants you to believe all whites hate blacks and all blacks hate whites.

In my day to day life that just is not so. Out of 350 million people of course there are exceptions.

Not the media I follow. 

 

[Captain Cranks]

From Axios today. 
 

This is exactly the reason I don't understand why you post some of the things you find on Twitter. IMO, you're helping to amplify those voices for the sake of your own "curiosity". 

 

[squistion]

I rarely see nastiness and nuttiness on Twitter because I don’t follow nasty and nutty people.

I don't seek it out, but it is impossible to avoid if you look at what are the currently trending hashtags and/or topics of the moment. 

 

[skol asylum]

Dark mode menu bar issue being fixed has filled me with hope.

 

[Sabertooth]

Join us in the otis fad diet thread.  A bunch of us getting back on the diet wagon myself included. 

I will.  

 

[Joe Bryant]

Dark mode menu bar issue being fixed has filled me with hope.

It's the small things.  

 

[Summer Wheat]

Not the media I follow. 

Does the media you follow always name the race of the person in a crime if they are white, then just name the crime if a black commits it?

CNN and MSNBC always  say "White police officer shoots black motorist"  If a black police officer does the shooting it is "Police officer shoots motorist"

Same with all the Asian beatings in No Cal and NY.  Never mentioned race if a black person did the beatings.

Why is that? 

 

[squistion]

Does the media you follow always name the race of the person in a crime if they are white, then just name the crime if a black commits it?

CNN and MSNBC always  say "White police officer shoots black motorist"  If a black police officer does the shooting it is "Police officer shoots motorist"

Same with all the Asian beatings in No Cal and NY.  Never mentioned race if a black person did the beatings.

Why is that? 

Because it isn't relevant as the attacks have not been shown to be racially motivated, looking at the overall numbers and not isolated cases that got attention in the media.

 

[Amused to Death]

I’ll do you one better, I don’t have Twitter at all. Never have.  No Instagram or Snapchat either.  

Same. I've never sent a tweet, retweeted, liked or followed anyone. FB is my only social media and even that is dominated by music, BBQ, and aquariums.

 

[Summer Wheat]

Because it isn't relevant as the attacks have not been shown to be racially motivated, looking at the overall numbers and not isolated cases that got attention in the media.

Then it should not be relevant in any case. 

If two cops are involved in the same type of shootings even if justified, they only mention race if a white cop is involved. 

You know it is true but it is not your or mines fault.

 

[Sabertooth]

Same. I've never sent a tweet, retweeted, liked or followed anyone. FB is my only social media and even that is dominated by music, BBQ, and aquariums.

I eventually just dumped FB too.  Too many ads.  No value really plus anyone who I wanted to socialize with was already off.  

 

[squistion]

Then it should not be relevant in any case. 

If two cops are involved in the same type of shootings even if justified, they only mention race if a white cop is involved. 

You know it is true but it is not your or mines fault.

I wasn't addressing the police shootings. This was what part of your quote I responded to and had bolded it:

Same with all the Asian beatings in No Cal and NY.  Never mentioned race if a black person did the beatings.

Why is that? 

 

[Summer Wheat]

I wasn't addressing the police shootings. This was what part of your quote I responded to and had bolded it:

But you never answered why? A black guy beat the crap out of a couple Asians in an obvious hate crime yet you had to do some research to find out.  White guys does it they will name the race.

Again, not blaming you.  Just a puzzling practice of division.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Well so much for hope.

 

[Sabertooth]

But you never answered why? A black guy beat the crap out of a couple Asians in an obvious hate crime yet you had to do some research to find out.  White guys does it they will name the race.

Again, not blaming you.  Just a puzzling practice of division.

I don’t think you are puzzled at all.  I think you are accusing one side and only one side of shading the truth.