You, Me & The World Are Spectators, Like It Or Not...

In an attempt to cover a commonly ignored issue, I compose this thread.


Spectators, according to the online Merriam Webster Dictionary is defined as one who looks on or watches. However, there is another term that comes to mind when one thinks of the word "spectator" which alludes to something less neutral and more related to a crowd watching two men battle to the death in a roman colosseum or someone witnessing something dramatic or tragic unfold before them. At least that is what comes to mind to me when I first hear the word.


America, the world and generally everyone pays the most attention to the emotional, tragic, or ridiculous events and not because they are the most important but because of something the type of subject gives them.
~My question is why.


I myself am self convicted of browsing the firehose and only clicking on or responding to what appeals most interesting to me as it relates to something amazing or something that can really stir or elicit some kind of emotional response for me.
~You know it happens.


Some days maybe not, others more so but we are all guilty of giving our attention to what does not bore us instead of executing our powers of intelligence and patience to cover the seemingly un-enlightening or simply, boring topics even though they could be of immense importance to a bigger, unrecognized picture. How much more enlightened I think we would be if every topic of interest or not were covered in detail, personally as individuals instead of the ones we find interesting or appealing to our emotional sense of fulfillment.
~But, it is what it is.


The media, in and of itself thrives on reporting murder, drama, atrocities and such because they get the most attention and response from the viewers by doing such, do they not? Is it not true that the most appalling, atrocious and horrendous topics and issues are the ones that you feel forced to reply to or forced to voice your opinion in an attempt to be heard or to possibly correct someone else's incorrect take on the issue at hand as you see fit?


We know it happens, we know when we are guilty of it, we know we are spectators and love seeing everything from an outside view for whatever reason it may be to fulfill our own reasons. What are we fulfilling by allowing the media, advertising and other outlets to capitalize on our twisted sense of entertainment? Why is human nature this way?


Is it only because human nature is always looking for something exciting, visually appealing and emotionally stirring, which is just who we are as is encoded into our being or does it involve another unrecognized, unstudied and darker reason within our psyche?



I am split on why we seek and enjoy what we do but I know we enjoy it as a general population and if you don't think that's true there is hordes of evidence that surfaces in a plethora of ways for those willing to see.



I think if more positive stories and topics were focused on, even though this theory of mine is unsupported entirely, the world might be a different place.


It's always a different story when you're the victim and not the spectator so I give pause to a very serious issue for contemplation.



If it bleeds, unfortunately it leads.

What say ye?






A article worth reading:

Drama and bad news is the name of the game for most media outlets. For some
reason actually, I guess because of human nature, the average viewer is intrigued,
fascinated, horrified, and yes, perhaps even a bit titillated by coverage of a tragedy or some other dramatic event.Very little coverage is given to issues about people and organizations doing positive things to make the world a better place to live in. We don't often hear about the contributions average people like you and I make to good causes. Not too much is said about the people who sacrifice everything to be missionaries and aid workers and educators in remote, dangerous countries. No, hope is in short supply on Fox,

CNN, NBC, CBS, and ABC. That is, at least, if you believe what you hear, and only what they tell you!

Why are Americans today so mesmerized by coverage of bridges collapsing, floods,
fires, mass murders, sexual predators, and a host of other deviant, disastrous,
catastrophic people and events? What is the fascination in all the drama? Do we even know there's a whole world out there that we never hear about on television news, except late at night, or on special occasions? Do we know there are average people living heroic lives? Do we know there are citizens of the world who suffer in silence and off the radar of the evening news because they're nameless, faceless and powerless?

The day-in-day-out routine of our daily lives can feel like drudgery, if we allow
ourselves to view it that way. The drama, blood and guts, murders, disasters, et al, are certainly more exciting than changing diapers, carpooling children to activities,
commuting to a job that is unrewarding, or living in a marriage that is not fulfilling. The "big issues" of the world are just too much to wrap our minds around. We don't have time or the energy to do "heroic" things, let alone the desire.

Source

If this is the case, something needs to change, globally.


Edit: typo's

[edit on 7-5-2010 by Crossfate]

[edit on 7-5-2010 by Crossfate]

misery loves company