The Most Important Ability in The Perfect Information Revolution

“God, Give us the grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed, Courage
to change the things which should be changed,
And the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”- Elizabeth Sifton

We are bombarded with information all day. Some of it news. Some of it entertainment. We need to be able to distinguish what is important to us, absorb it and ignore the rest. What ever your system for doing this, I think you need a conscious one.

The Casey Anthony trial highlights a perfect example of this. Sensational news sells because we allow it too.
Was it a tragedy that this girl died? Yes.
Was this an indictment of poor police work? Possibly
Was this an indictment of the American Justice System or even Florida’s? Absolutely not. More likely, it showed that the American Justice system actually works to protect us from mobs.

The True Outrage in The Casey Anthony Trial

I f you were admittedly watching the Casey Anthony trial for entertainment, fine.  It was a live courtroom drama.  But if you were watching it because you felt it was some sort of moral obligation, shame on you.  We each have limited mental resources and limited ire.  There are plenty of injustices occurring everyday.  Many of these injustices did affect you indirectly, some more indirectly, but in the long run.

Are you worried about your children?  I think the oil spills in Yellowstone will have a greater impact on their futures.

The true outrage, the true tragedy of the Casey Anthony trial lies in the fact that we all have been distracted from real world problems, under the guise of discussing something important.  Many walk away from the Casey Anthony trial discsussions feeling self important and righteous.   If you want to fight, and get on your soapbox, choose something that affects you.  Choose an argument that you feel can improve you.  If you want to become magnanimous, choose an argument that can actually helps those around you.

The Real Winner of The Casey Anthony Trial

Much much bigger villains are getting away with more dastardly deeds everyday. When you allow yourself to be distracted, much much bigger villains are getting away with truly dastardly deeds and immense injustices. Don’t let them win by providing a shell game.

Decide what information is important.

Decide what information is entertainment.

Ask why each is separate and keep them apart.