What is it that draws the populace to bad news? Why does the human race thrive on sensationalism, or the horribleness that happens to another? Why is it that it only takes one over-reactive individual to start an avalanche of rash decisions among normally logical individuals?  Why is it that the “bad” things people do make the headlines while the “good” seems to go unnoticed?

          Appetite

I suppose that those who “sell” the news somehow know what people like to hear. But, if the general population, say, one person at a time, were to lose their appetite for the bad news, then what would it be replaced with? How about good news?

Although lies, betrayals, hatred, maliciousness, sickness and wars will never cease on this side of heaven, we as individuals have the chance to choose each and every day to mute the voice of doom. Those who do are not denying the facts of sorrow and sadness, poverty and illness, or wars and rumors of war. We are simply choosing to change where we place our focus. 

The world has never had a shortage of evil, but now the world’s evil is just a click away. In seconds we can watch, listen and read about the latest crazy event occurring somewhere in the world. Not only that, we will know the popular opinion that is being formed about the latest and greatest sensationalism. 

But what if I choose not to participate in the latest and the greatest? What if I choose not to be suckered into the sensationalism of the day. What if I choose to turn it off? Will my choice make a dent, a difference or an impact? Maybe not, but maybe so. 

Only when we take the chance toward muting the voice of doom will we begin to hear a different voice, one that whispers for us to notice something small and beautiful; a smile from a stranger, the peacefulness in a new day, a compliment from a colleague, or a hug from a friend. 

Noticing a little bit of good, dispels a lot of bad and though the good does not obliterate the bad, neither does the bad obliterate the good. 

Why bother muting the voice of doom? There is more to be heard than just gloom and doom. But we won’t hear it until we mute the voice of doom.