Where every conversation ends up at and why we should start noticing
My Experience
I started to notice the effect that the lack of experiences were having on conversations I was having with family and friends when I had a hard time with answering the question “What’s new?”. Almost every conversation I started ended up back at Level 3. (COVID, Politics and Media / Social issues)
At first the discussions were interesting, but after a few months I found they were very unproductive and frankly at times depressing. Once I became aware of where every conversation ended up, I have been trying to direct the conversation to other topics. It was difficult at first, but after a while it becomes rather obvious and gets easier to pivot.
The Current Environment
Level 1: Everyday experiences
Level 2: Current road blocks
Level 3: What were talking about
One of the many down sides of the pandemic has been the lack of experiences that people are having. Instead of talking about the amazing trip they went on, the new class they just took, or the crazy day they had, people are focusing on “Level 3” topics (politics, COVID and social issues). After 9+ months of consistently beating the dead horse of Level 3 I feel that discussions are doing more harm than good.
These are all obviously important topics, but when it is all you talk about a few things happen:
You end up getting frustrated
Pointlessly arguing
Feeling helpless
Most of the time end up right where you started
To say our environment has gotten to an unhealthy level is an understatement. It’s a dream come true for media and social networks, and I think there are a lot of lessons we can learn from being trapped in an endless news cycle.
Lessons To Learn From
The value of experiences and how they shape our conversations
Identifying when discussions are no longer beneficial
Understanding the objectives of news / media companies
Learning to accept and respect different opinions
What Now?
Start noticing when you end up at “Level 3” and make a point to redirect when discussions become unproductive
Experiences / Topics: Hobbies, TV Shows/Movies, Books, Online Classes, Personal Goals
Get outside!! — Hiking, Fitness
Limit your social media exposure
2020 has been an interesting year to say the least and I am writing this post in the hopes that it will help bring awareness to the direction of the conversations we are having.
If you are looking for some book recommendations to get you through the rest of year — check out my reading list alechajdukovich.com
To be clear I understand it is beneficial for people to stay up to date on COVID protocols and realize that political / social issues are very important in shaping the future.