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The High Cost of Staying Informed and Being Irrelevant

Lately, I’ve been reading an intriguing book by Rolf Dobelli titled Stop Reading the News: A Manifesto for a Happier, Calmer and Wiser Life, published in 2020.

According to estimates from the Pew Research Center in the U.S., people spend an average of 58 to 96 minutes per day consuming news. If you're awake for about 16 hours a day, that means roughly one-sixteenth of your life is spent reading or watching the news. Interestingly, the more educated someone is, the more time they tend to dedicate to news consumption.

Dobelli urges us to stop reading the news. Why? Because, as he argues:

News is irrelevant to your life. Reading it is a waste of time.  

News offers a narrow, fragmented perspective.  

It makes you lose sight of the big picture.  

It reinforces bias.  

It manipulates emotions.  

It stifles creativity.  

It destroys peace of mind.

Often, the most meaningful changes in the world happen quietly, behind the scenes—while the noisiest, most publicized events lead nowhere. Like the old saying goes, the barking dog doesn't bite.

Dobelli believes that only two kinds of information truly matter. First, the kind that helps you make better decisions right now—such as your parents’ health, your child’s academic progress, or your partner’s well-being. None of this shows up in the news.

The second kind of valuable information helps you connect more deeply with the world and supports your long-term growth—personally or professionally. Here, Dobelli borrows Warren Buffett’s concept of the “circle of competence”: focus on what you know and what you can influence, rather than on things far beyond your understanding or control. 

Buffett’s motto is simple: Know your circle of competence—and stay within it. That same principle applies to how we manage our time, attention, and information diet. Build your life around what truly matters.

So far, the message that sticks with me most is this:  

Most news is irrelevant to your life. Reading it is a waste of time.

It's crucial to develop a wise and discerning attitude toward information. In an age of endless headlines, hot takes, and algorithm-driven outrage, the ability to filter what deserves your attention has become a core life skill—just like managing your diet or finances.

More reflections tomorrow... 

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