Shiny Object Syndrome

[Dilettante]

I can't help but play devil's advocate once again.

To be honest, it's depressing to see so much of the forum's activity directed toward reacting to new content on X, YouTube, Rumble, or whatever the platform may be. I'm not anyone's boss—you can do as you please! It's just... it feels like watching a dog chase its own tail.

There's been a phrase repeating in my head for some time now: "Keep your eye on the ball."

While it feels exciting and revelatory to "keep up" with the news cycle, has it been truly fruitful over the last, oh, quarter century? Not exactly. And what does it take away? The quiet, fruitful study and the laying down of a solid foundation of knowledge. The best source of that knowledge is probably a book, because it doesn’t demand your attention—it requires you to choose to give it.

The algorithm directs your attention to the dumbest, most profane, and most reactive content it can find. Is that really the well we should be drawing our understanding of the world from?

I enjoy the personal anecdotes from the forum—those are probably the best content here. Otherwise, most of the "meat" is found in Bill’s old interviews. Some threads are pretty "meaty," but those are few and far between. Even with all that information laid out, it’s hard to stitch it together into a coherent worldview. And as we connect the dots, one sour dot can ruin ten savory ones.

What do you guys think? How should we orient ourselves toward the news?

[Jaak]

I have had several periods in my life when i had no computer or on occasions not even electricity for long periods of time . And those times certainly were quite happy for me . Was reading books , socialised more , was going out more... Not knowing and not worrying about things that are happening around the world that i cant anyway do nothing about but reading about some of them ... quite depressing. And yet somehow very addicting . I have been a reading junkie since kid but lately mainly through pc i read things which im trying to turn around. Weather is getting better , winter is fading so i have been planning to go sit outside in the sunshine in near future with a book as often as possible .

Too much information these days and some of it or quite a lot of it is garbage and not improving us , can agree . But the stronger your inner world has grown the less it is affected by the outside world...

[thepainterdoug]

I used to offer more personal writings feelings and opinions. i feel cluttered and most all is pointless . as if invasion of the body snatchers

[Rizotto]

There's a genocide committed against Palestinians as I write these words. I feel strongly that I have a responsibility as a citizen of this planet to at least expose the truth about this as much as possible. And to request my government to address this. Even if my words are apparently ignored, there is a cumulative universal (cosmic?) impact to what each of us say on these issues, an impact that is shaped and driven by our individual attention and intent.

I appreciate very much everybody's efforts here in posting information about these conflicts, which I would otherwise have missed. Wherever suitable, I pass on this information to social media sites.

[Mike]

I heard a great quote not too long ago, and it goes something like this: "Whatever political responsibility you choose to forfeit will be taken up by tyrants and used against you." That one made me stop in my tracks.

I don't believe in obsessing over the news cycle, but I think every earth citizen carries with them a personal responsibility to stay at least moderately informed. Not just for their own sake but for everyone else's as well.

Whenever I hear someone say they never watch the news because they "don't like the energy" or some such thing, what they're really doing is masking their unwillingness to assume responsibility for it with something noble and wise sounding. Because if they know what's going on in the world they may be forced to do something about it. Ignorance lets them off the hook. Plus it takes effort to keep up with current events, and people are generally pretty lazy (and just plain old busy, to be fair). I think we're morally obligated to do things we don't like sometimes, even if we don't like the "vibes". Not accusing Dilettante of this, but this thread has my gears going now.

Having said that, I can empathize with that point of view because the news can be very tiresome and toxic (and cyclical). It's designed largely to keep us in a frenzy. But that doesn't relieve us of our responsibility imo. It actually ratchets it up. It asks us to be more discerning and alert. And it requires us to balance our energy properly and seek a baseline that allows for some current event type stuff without burning ourselves out. So in short, the answer is different for everyone re orienting towards the news.

Before I forget, I really like what you said about books. That's a great line there.

And like you I also prefer the personal anecdotes above all else. I think we could probably use more of those to balance out the volume of news related stuff here. I'd like to see that.

But getting my news from Avalon saves me from having to spend even more time on the news, because smart and dedicated people here (mountainjim) are so dedicated to posting it in easily accessible and digestible bits. Some of it is stuff I mighta missed otherwise.

Part of me misses the early Avalon days, where it was all mostly UFO's, disclosure, whistleblowers, high strangeness etc. But what we're seeing now is a pretty natural and healthy evolution imo

[Ben]

I think it's getting caught up in the small details, sensationalism, tribalism and arguing about which 'leader' is marginally less bad than another, that is the problem here. I't's pretty low frequency stuff, and I find myself drained on all levels after even 10-20 minutes of it.

I do keep myself aware of world vents, and know it's vital to do so - as Mike said, it's our responsibility as inhabitants of Earth. We have to know what's going on in order to be part of it, otherwise we are bypassing our external reality (the inverse of spiritual bypassing). Without a keen awareness of what's playing out, we are handicapped in our ability to act accordingly, in ways that create a better world.

I do agree that Avalon has become much more of a space for regurgitating (mostly) shoddy and hyped up news, which is mostly coming from a fear based agenda. Same as the mainstream, but on the other side of the narrative. And it's worse off for it.

The tagline for this forum is 'Where Science and Spirituality Meet', and it would be wonderful to see more emphasis on explorations of topics like emergent technological solutions, projects that are making real positive changes at a grassroots level, new understandings in how our bodies work and how we can self-heal, and breakthroughs in our perceptions of how the very nature of reality functions.

Topics like this are what really inspire and uplift me, and it's vital that we walk forward into a new world on our own terms, guided by an unshakeable knowing that it's US, not the muppets who feed us bread and circuses, who are truly in charge here.

It's a fine line between being aware of what's going on in a healthy and balanced way, and getting sucked into a maelstrom of ranting and speculating, which is basically just a loosh harvesting fest.

[norman]

About once a week here I find myself asking, is there an awakening happening here or is it all academic ?

The brief ponders I follow that question with have become gloomier lately.

But, people like to say, true or not, "It's always darkest just before the dawn".

I hope to Christ that's true.

[Ben]

Posted by norman (here)
About once a week here I find myself asking, is there an awakening happening here or is it all academic ?

The brief ponders I follow that question with have become gloomier lately.

But, people like to say, true or not, "It's always darkest just before the dawn".


I hope to Christ that's true.

There’s undoubtably an awakening happening, but in order to perceive it, we have to put our focus in the right places.

[Michi]

The news are indeed "shiny news" and one get sucked most easily in dramatic, sensational news.

Fortunately many great Avalon members help to shed some lights into that. (Did I just say that?)

I mean help to discern from lies and most probable truths.


Still - The News - is mostly a great entertainment show for the people. (compare the movie "Hunger Games")


It's up to every individual to decide for him self, what area or part of "responsibility" he want to assume. Some individuals may have other aims or priorities ...

[Johnnycomelately]

Posted by Dilettante (here)
I can't help but play devil's advocate once again.

To be honest, it's depressing to see so much of the forum's activity directed toward reacting to new content on X, YouTube, Rumble, or whatever the platform may be. I'm not anyone's boss—you can do as you please! It's just... it feels like watching a dog chase its own tail.

There's been a phrase repeating in my head for some time now: "Keep your eye on the ball."

While it feels exciting and revelatory to "keep up" with the news cycle, has it been truly fruitful over the last, oh, quarter century? Not exactly. And what does it take away? The quiet, fruitful study and the laying down of a solid foundation of knowledge. The best source of that knowledge is probably a book, because it doesn’t demand your attention—it requires you to choose to give it.

The algorithm directs your attention to the dumbest, most profane, and most reactive content it can find. Is that really the well we should be drawing our understanding of the world from?

I enjoy the personal anecdotes from the forum—those are probably the best content here. Otherwise, most of the "meat" is found in Bill’s old interviews. Some threads are pretty "meaty," but those are few and far between. Even with all that information laid out, it’s hard to stitch it together into a coherent worldview. And as we connect the dots, one sour dot can ruin ten savory ones.

What do you guys think? How should we orient ourselves toward the news?

Hi Dilettante, belated welcome to Avalon. IMO, your posts in these past three months have been earnest and thought provoking, and I hope that you continue that.

I’m pretty sure I understand your position, what bothers you, and your petition here. I have had similar feelings about serial lame postings here, like they are time wasters for serious searchers for meaning.

My solution has been to relax, let others post as they please, and to be more diligent in my choices of content to take seriously here. Avalon is not a democratic institution, it operates by the direction of its founder and master, Bill Ryan. And good on him for having made such a strong instrument of interaction, both for himself and for anyone who is able to give and/or to receive here.

I recommend to you, that you ignore the spammers, try to make friends with like minded folks, and don’t bother trying to reform the forum in your preferred version.

[rgray222]

Posted by Dilettante (here)
What do you guys think? How should we orient ourselves toward the news?

I understand exactly what you are saying, but after all, this is our world and it is important that we engage it, understand it, and make efforts to improve it. News is happening every minute of every day. It moves faster than an ADHD toddler on a massive sugar high, this is both exhilarating and maddening. For instance, people are still digging out from Hurricane Helene, and 2000 people died in the Myanmar earthquake the other day, and both of these stories hardly register as a blip on the map today in most Western countries.

Also, we are living through a time of massive change in how people source and consume news. The open casket containing the legacy media companies and even many of the once large cable companies will soon be closing. X (Twitter), FB, TikTok and other social network platforms will be short-lived or radically changed once people are fully engaged with AI. The competition is so fierce for our attention that sensationalism is the order of the day, even from the Financial Times and the NY Times, but I think most people (at least on Avalon) can see the real news through the relentless and endless clickbait.

Every source of news is putting out its shinest object to steal your attention, but what they are fishing for are your emotions. Once you invest your emotions, particularly into fake, false or misleading news stories, then the news truly has lost value. At that point, the news is really meaningless; people are showing up only to get their marching orders for the day. Not allowing your emotions to run rampant while reading or watching the news is difficult, but it is certainly doable.

Like Mike mentioned, I also miss the early days of Avalon when much of the discussion centered around life, health, first contact, UFOs, life after death, etc. Things change, the world moves forward, and we need to move along with it.

[arjunaloka_official]

I agree that much of the news generates negative energy, the energy the Archons feed on. Therefore, I try to read the news only once a week to get an overview (but my curiosity usually gets the better of me). However, as others have pointed out, turning a blind eye doesn't solve the problems being reported on. Therefore, I try to prioritize, within my means, and have a positive impact on some of the issues.

[Dilettante]

Thanks for the wonderful discussion so far.

I'd like to start by acknowledging Rizotto and Mike. What you both bring up is crucial, and I didn’t mean to argue for ignorance of world issues — I agree that is not the solution. But there are more and less inflammatory ways of consuming the news.

For example, since most news is syndicated anyway, you can just find the source and read AP News and Reuters. Is that a perfect solution? Not really, but it’s the least inflammatory way to consume mainstream news that I’ve found.

There are genocides occurring in Gaza and Ukraine, I agree.

But let’s think about why this continues and how sticky of a problem it is. It’s one thing to have an opinion on what’s happening, it’s another thing entirely to do something about it. Why do these wars continue? Because U.S. citizens allow their government to arm and fund their partners. Should we strike? Should we stop paying taxes? Probably, but that’s hard. It could have consequences in our own lives. So, most people just have an opinion but go with the flow. As long as you are paying taxes, your taxes will be used for these war crimes, and you are complicit in them indirectly.

That’s a hell of a pill to swallow. I don't think there's a simple solution.

[arjunaloka_official]

...well, not paying taxes is an option, but for most people, that's like going nuclear. Paying taxes and then trying to influence what happens with those taxes is a little less escalating, and I would always try to solve a problem with the least amount of effort possible. You're right that there's no easy solution—there were "1,000" steps in, so there will be at least "100" steps out, I suppose.

[Dilettante]

Posted by norman (here)
But, people like to say, true or not, "It's always darkest just before the dawn".

I too hope the dawn is close, but unfortunately I'm reminded of what Mao Zedong said: "It's always darkest before it becomes totally black."

[arjunaloka_official]

Posted by Dilettante (here)
I too hope the dawn is close, but unfortunately I'm reminded of what Mao Zedong said: "It's always darkest before it becomes totally black."

Act positive within your means - you have the power! Prayers and divine mercy shall support you.

"the one who comes to me I will never cast out" (John 6:37)

[Open Minded Dude]

For many years now I mostly 'consume' "THE NEWS" via indirect sources, meaning: from alternative media. It makes it all more bearable and often you get some ingenious commentary or processing of it all into the bargain, be it by brilliant analysis and interviews or even with some sense of humour (see Jimmy Dore Show as one example).

[onawah]

I think the overall vibe of Avalon would be greatly improved if some of the rules (at least, as I understand them) would be enforced more.
Causing members to limit posting to articles, videos, etc. from sources that are reliable, credible and to the point, focusing not on quantity but on quality.
Certain members seem to imagine they are in some sort of contest to see who can make the most posts per day.
Sometimes they post worthwhile info, but generally that's not the case, thereby just wasting time and space.
It's also counter productive, since I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't even glance at all those posts, not wanting to take the time to sort through it all to find the few worthy of attention.
I think newsworthy info can be found on youtube, Rumble, etc. if we are selective.

[Delight]

Posted by Dilettante (here)
I can't help but play devil's advocate once again.

To be honest, it's depressing to see so much of the forum's activity directed toward reacting to new content on X, YouTube, Rumble, or whatever the platform may be. I'm not anyone's boss—you can do as you please! It's just... it feels like watching a dog chase its own tail.

There's been a phrase repeating in my head for some time now: "Keep your eye on the ball."

While it feels exciting and revelatory to "keep up" with the news cycle, has it been truly fruitful over the last, oh, quarter century? Not exactly. And what does it take away? The quiet, fruitful study and the laying down of a solid foundation of knowledge. The best source of that knowledge is probably a book, because it doesn’t demand your attention—it requires you to choose to give it.

The algorithm directs your attention to the dumbest, most profane, and most reactive content it can find. Is that really the well we should be drawing our understanding of the world from?

I enjoy the personal anecdotes from the forum—those are probably the best content here. Otherwise, most of the "meat" is found in Bill’s old interviews. Some threads are pretty "meaty," but those are few and far between. Even with all that information laid out, it’s hard to stitch it together into a coherent worldview. And as we connect the dots, one sour dot can ruin ten savory ones.

What do you guys think? How should we orient ourselves toward the news?

Bill's old interviews are being brought forth by those who never saw them. IMO this is an information forum. We like information so we come here. IMO. Those of us who share what is interesting to us NOW do it BECAUSE we like to share it. You can attend to whatever you choose. What YOU like and find valuable is no more important. IMO.

[Dilettante]

Posted by Delight (here)
Bill's old interviews are being brought forth by those who never saw them. IMO this is an information forum. We like information so we come here. IMO. Those of us who share what is interesting to us NOW do it BECAUSE we like to share it. You can attend to whatever you choose. What YOU like and find valuable is no more important. IMO.

You bring up some very fair points. I don’t write my posts as carefully as I should and I didn’t mean to offend anyone.