Stop consuming ragebait

A few months back, I saw a post by Luke Smith that focused on how consuming and listening to things you hate and disagree with can affect you in a way you might not even notice. I've been thinking about it now for a while (lol), and I think it's really important to notice the effect on yourself and the people around you.

Let's say that you see a short video that challenges your convictions. In your mind, you try to argue the points made. So in short, your mind is entering a defensive mode. You keep thinking of this on the drive home and when in the shower. Now, due to the internet, you might see hundreds, even thousands, of contrary opinions, whether they are actually important to you or not. Your mind is impossibly cluttered, and you cannot focus on meaningful pursuits as you're in a state of mental turmoil. In a way, these contrary positions are now a part of your brain. This applies to propaganda as well, BTW.

I'm not saying you shouldn't think about your positions on things you care about or that you shouldn't defend your own positions. You need to practice selective engagement and stop being an algorithm slave.

see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.