Tag: Bad News

Sometimes when you hear a story it completely resonates with you and seems to fit perfectly into the scenario of life.  Last week a friend recalled a story and since then so many things have made me think back to that tale and has certainly changed my way of thinking. The story was very much like the one retold below but was about an Italian farmer. I suppose it could really be about almost anyone.

A Chinese farmer gets a horse, which soon runs away. A neighbour says, “That’s bad news.” The farmer replies, “Good news, bad news, who can say?”

The horse comes back and brings another horse with him. Good news, you might say. The farmer replies, “Good news, bad news, who can say?”

The farmer gives the second horse to his son, who rides it, then is thrown and badly breaks his leg. “So sorry for your bad news,” says the concerned neighbour. “Good news, bad news, who can say?” the farmer replies.

In a week or so, the emperor’s men come and take every able-bodied young man to fight in a war. The farmer’s son is spared.

Good news, of course!! Bad news – who can say?

It’s easy to understand why the ancient story of the Chinese farmer resonates now, in times that seem way too full of bad news. The farmer’s tale captures many of our emotions. Even something that seems dark and confounding now can turn out to be an opportunity, when looked on in hindsight.

There are many current situations where we can use this story. If someone were to lose their job, it may at the time seem like bad news but when looked at later it may have been the best thing to have happened” Lots of us have had something not turn out the way we wanted — only to find out that something way better was in store?

Since the launch of Banana Crumble and our link with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust we have obviously spoken to lots of people with CF. One thing that Sophie Holmes has said is that the CF has made her who she is and gives her the drive and determination she now has. If she hadn’t had CF would she have had that same ambition? So from something reported as bad news she feels something good has come out of it.

You don’t have be deeply philosophical to understand that from where we stand now, we don’t know the end of the story we’re living. We don’t know the twists and turns still to come. Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl famously said in “Man’s Search for Meaning,” when we’ve lost much, or even nearly everything, sometimes all we can choose is our attitude in the face of trials.

That’s why I decided to tell you the tale of the farmer in the hope it encourages you not always to think of bad news as bad news!!

We never know what gifts will follow “bad news,” and encourages us to take both good and bad as simply what happens in life.

We constantly moan that the news is dominated by negative headlines but have you ever wondered why we love to hear bad news?

Newspapers, TV broadcasters, news apps are all constantly filled with stories of disaster, acts of terror, political corruption. When you read the news, it can often be overwhelming with the amount of depressing headlines but our minds are drawn to the negativity, the fear. Why else would the media focus their efforts on reporting all things bad in life? Where is the good news?

The Audience

Not only bad things happen in this world, the media just feeds the bad to us – but what does this mean about us as the readers? Our brains home in on the terrible events and we as the audience seem to get a ‘buzz’ from it. It’s not that we necessarily enjoy hearing bad news, but that we are intrigued by it. It catches our attention because it’s not the everyday norm, therefore it interests us. Hearing bad news and hearing good news sparks contrasting emotions, it comes down to which emotion is stronger. Bad news is more exciting and grips us, whereas good news has a less stimulating reaction. As readers we seem to respond to words such as “terror attack”, “cancer”, “devastation” more than the positive words “happy”, “joy”, “fun”. It seems our human mind tends to prioritise negativity over positivity, it increases our alertness and spikes our inquisitive mind. Take a second to think about it, “Puppy stuck in drain rescued” or “Twenty-five dead from car bomb” – which one catches your eye more? The headline about a car bomb instantly grips you, it’s natural empathy, it shocks you yet thrills you at the same time. Whereas the headline about the puppy simply gives a quick thought such as “oh isn’t that nice” and you continue with your day.

We love to hear about the bad in the world; the natural disasters killing thousands and devastating communities, the wide-spread government corruption, the acts of terror on our country’s soil. But why don’t we love to hear about the milestone achievements, amazing charity work or accomplishments in life?

The Effects of Social Media

News stories are broadcasted via social media channels quicker than they are put out on news websites, TV channels and radio stations. These social media posts get shared, retweeted, commented on and liked within a matter of seconds, soon filling the internet with a variety of reactions (generally the bad outweighing the good), soon a Facebook post becomes a forum of people venting their anger. Could this be why journalists continue to pour out the bad news, because of its value? Do journalists report more bad news than good news because it gets them higher ratings? We say we want good news, but is it actually true?

Social media is truly fascinating, the power it holds and influence it has is outstanding, so let’s use it positively! Share your achievements, share your good deeds, share your stories and experiences…because we all love to see it, we just need reminding of the good in the world (you’ll soon be racking up those Facebook likes, don’t you worry). One day the good will outweigh the bad. The question is, whether we know the adequate balance of negativity and positivity?

At Banana Crumble, we love to go bananas (ha ha get it?) for good news stories! Our aim is to brighten your day with happy and exhilarating stories. If you have a good news story you want to share with us, we’d love to hear from you!