To become more idealistic in life is simple:
Cut away negative ideas, people, and fear-inducing distractions.
The news is toxic
I have done an extreme media purge/fast the last several months/years — and occasionally, I slip up. Whenever I do accidentally read the news, I notice — that my mood is shifted. I feel shittier, less optimistic, and I feel more pessimistic.
What is the problem here?
This is what I think:
Because online media is driven by advertising and clicks, the bias is that the content will be outlandish; fear-inducing, scary, or a bit crazy.
Which means this:
You get a false view of reality– that the world is a shittier place than it actually is.
I’m the eternal optimist
I believe that the world is inherently a good place. That people are inherently good, and for the most part (even though there are a lot of shitty things about the world), the good vastly outweigh the negative downsides.
Delete the news
If you want to feel more optimism in life, some simple ideas:
- Delete social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) — any platform which spreads hysterical nonsense-news.
- No more reading news: No news blogs, etc. All the information is inherently toxic; the more crap you read, the more confused you get. I think inherently we humans like to read the news, because we want to discover information that will help us. However because there is so much toxic information out there, what happens is this: as we consume more information, we become more poisoned, more pessimistic, and feel more shitty. I encourage everyone to do an extreme purge of the news. As my buddy Nassim Taleb says, “To cure yourself of the news, spend an entire year reading the news from last year.”
- Subtract negative people and energy: I believe that 1 negative person in your life can cancel out the effect of 100 positive people in your life. To feel more optimism an idealism in life, subtract the few rotten eggs from your basket. One rotten egg, apple, individual — will ruin your entire life. Be ruthless in pruning these leeches, parasites, and dark clouds from your life.
Become the change which you wish to see in the world
To make an impact in the world is simple:
Impact the life of 1 other human being on planet earth.
Pretty simple.
How to impact more people on a wider scale
A practical way to impact more people on a wider scale: start your own blog. Own your own platform. Use open-source platforms such as wordpress.org, and own your own website domain host (I recommend bluehost.com or 1and1.com).
I believe that ideas, knowledge, and information can change the perspectives, viewpoints, and souls of others.
Your ideas have value. Don’t talk down on yourself.
This is what drives my blogging, or sharing of ideas:
If my ideas can at least benefit 1 other human being on the planet earth, via the internet– it is worth publishing/sharing/posting.
Idealism
What are your personal ideals (or ideas) you believe in life?
Reality is malleable. Don’t take the pre-constructed social rules as “rules”. What we have been brainwashed into believing are just options, beliefs, ideas, and thoughts of others.
Stand up for what you believe in. You’re not right or wrong, you’re just authentic; you believe in what you believe in. And you and your ideas have worth.
BE BOLD!
ERIC
Philosophy
Dictate your meaning and purpose in your life with ZEN OF ERIC:
Philosophical Essays
- Thrivival 101
- Create Yourself
- Non-Small
- Inspiration
- How to Live a Heroic Life: Dare the Heights!
- Human Augmentation
- Prune
- Happiness: Do What You Want to Do (And Don’t Do What You Don’t Want to Do)
- Avoid Vain (Empty) Pursuits in Life
- Modern Slavery
- Kill the Leeches
- Wisdom Augmentation
- Why We Need Friction in Life
- Straight Line Philosophy
- What’s Your End-Game in Life?
- Create Your Own Happiness Today
- Desire Both Pain and Pleasure in Life
- Try the Impossible
- SELF-RESPECT
- Anti-Social Extrovert
- Never Blame Anybody But Yourself
- Human Flourishing
- Simpler, Not Better.
- How to be Free
- Embrace the Extremes
- Cultivate Your Own Culture
- COURAGE.
- Thrivival
- Inner Power
- How to Live a Purposeful Life
- My Definition of Happiness
- Why Change is Good
- Why Work?
- How to Live the Happiest Possible Life
- The Two-Pronged Approach to Maximize Joy in Your Life
- You Always Have Another Option!
- INFINITISM
- Never Stop!
- What is Your Self-Directed Purpose in Life?
- Live Today Like it Were Your Last
- Do You Photograph to Live, or Live to Photograph?
- ARTIST-PHILOSOPHER
- Live Life to the Fullest!
- In Praise of Selfishness
- Why You Must Be a YAY-SAYER to Succeed in Entrepreneurship and Life
- Why I Love Walking
- Live Life Like a Video Game!
- Simple Luxuries in Life
- Treat Your Life Like a Fun Experiment!
- Only Prove it to Yourself
- You Don’t Always Need to Feel Joyful to Live a Fulfilling and Meaningful Life
- Life is Too Short to Be Bored!
- Money Cannot Destroy Boredom
- How to Find Inspiration in Life
- Why You Must Ignore Haters to Succeed and Win in Life
- An Active Life is a Happy Life
- My Simple Joys in Life
- Never Stop Striving
- How to Motivate Yourself in Life
- How to Be Optimistic in Life
- How to Dictate Your Purpose in Life
- In Praise of a Dynamic Life
- PURPOSE.
- How to Enjoy Life
- Photography Therapy
- How to Conquer Regret
- Take Your Play Very Seriously.
- How to Prosper
- Memento Vivere
- Destroy in Order to CREATE
- Trust Your Body More Than Your Mind
- Make Photos to Make Meaning in Your Life
- Seek Knowledge, Not Information
- The Purpose of Human Life
- How to Overcome Impedence
- Why I Love Death
- How to Be Centered in the Eternal Now
- How to Be Happy
- Why Do You Care What Others Think of You?
- Why I’m Happy
- Why?
- Why I’m So Prolific
- How to Reduce LAG in Life
Masters of Philosophy »
Personal Philosophy »
Stoicism »
- How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer
- How to Use Photography as Self-Therapy
- How to Free Your Soul From Disturbance
Zen Philosophy »
- How to Be a Zen Street Photographer
- Zen in the Art of Street Photography
- How to Find Tranquility in Your Photography
Life Lessons »
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