Why I Am A Semi-Sociopath

[David Sklansky]

I usually spend the first few minutes of my waking hours watching CNN Headline News. I don't believe there is any other source that offers exactly what they do. A quick summary of what is happening now, pretty much repeating every twenty minutes or so.

For the last two days they have almost totally suspended this important service to televise live, the OJ PRELIMINARY HEARING. And there is no way they would do it if they didn't know that that is what most people wanted! Even most of their regular viewers.

Tell me why I should care about what happens to those people when a misfortune befalls them that is indirectly related to their misplace priorities. (They can't at least watch a summary of the hearing or watch it in its entirety on an entertainment show?) I don't actually wish those people harm. But if I had the choice of helping them or a struggling student in Bangledesh, I'll choose the latter, even if the former had a grandfather who fought for us in WWII.

[madnak]

I think most of us will agree with you. I don't think this is sociopathic at all. I do believe in universal compassion, but I don't believe in equal compassion.

[chezlaw]

Its lowest common denomenator cheap garbage, most people would prefer something different.

chez

[luckyme]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't actually wish those people harm.

[/ QUOTE ]

....hmmmmmm. then perhaps I am a sociopath.

luckyme

[Phil153]

[ QUOTE ]
Tell me why I should care about what happens to those people when a misfortune befalls them that is indirectly related to their misplace priorities.

[/ QUOTE ]
Because misplaced priorities is only a small part of the equation.

That said, I agree with your general premise. Western society and average white people in general lack a lot of the humanity you find in less wealthy countries. I'd rather help the struggling Bangladeshy too.

[andyfox]

I don't understand how this makes you a semi-sociopath. Why wouldn't any decent person prefer to help a struggling student than those guys? And what diference should it make who their grandfather was?

TV news has only a fraction of the audience it once had. Three times as many people listen to Rush Limbaugh on a regular basis as watch the #1 ranked evening news show. I think the average age for a viewer of the evening news shows is in the 60s. So you're right when you say that CNN knows they'll do better broadcasting the OJ hearing than their regular news summary. But it's not a "service" they're providing, it's the business they're in to try to make money.

[sirio11]

[ QUOTE ]
I think most of us will agree with you. I don't think this is sociopathic at all. I do believe in universal compassion, but I don't believe in equal compassion.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT

[einbert]

You realize this is for the exact same reasons as your cuffs thread right?

Anyway, people love to see a public figure get dragged out and interrogated in front of everybody. And OJ is certainly someone that has a lot of history and is an important public figure at this point.
But they should still have the scrolling thing at the bottom, did they not?

[CrayZee]

A semi-sociopath because you like to watch junk food TV? Last time I watched cable, Donald Trump was on CNBC giving such useful information like "you've got to have passion." I now possess the magical formula.

I don't get this American obsession w/ outliers esp. of the celebrity variety. Who cares if Paris Hilton served 12.3 hours in jail or whatever. Even sadder, why do I even know anything about this?

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
I usually spend the first few minutes of my waking hours watching CNN Headline News. I don't believe there is any other source that offers exactly what they do. A quick summary of what is happening now, pretty much repeating every twenty minutes or so.


[/ QUOTE ]

You will know more of what is happening around the world in less time if you just visit the following websites.

CNN
FOXNEWS
BBC

You're less likely to be captivated by garbage news when you get your news from a written source.

Stu