Do you want the good news or the bad news? If we are honest, most of us would admit that we are more interested in the bad news. We can’t help it. We are hardwired to be alert to threats and opportunities. Long ago, we needed to be aware of things that might kill us, like rotten food, an aggressive neighbouring tribe or an infected wound. We would find the real news very boring to watch. Imagine it. Today, billions of people carried on business as usual. Mostly things went well and most people are quite happy.  99.9999999% of people weren’t killed today. It is not surprising that the news tends to contain a lot of shock, horror, disaster, violence, threats and misery, plus a sprinkling of fame, wealth, celebrity and power. There is good news, but we don’t hear it because it is just not so exciting. We hear the story of a gruesome murder but we don’t hear the stories of effective rehabilitation of prisoners or the massive but unexplained drop in crime. We hear lots about wars and terrorism but less about economic development, scientific discoveries and cultural advances. We need to draw more attention to these positive stories. Continuous negative news is depressing and harmful. It makes us cynical, frightened, pessimistic, less trusting and less creative. If we can balance the negative with the positive then we will grow in gratitude and well-being and be healthier as individuals and as a society.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Magna-Carta-Psychiatrists-Prescription/dp/1506191673