Rule #8 (The Rule Book)

This month I decided to look into Rule 8, Take an Interest in the Outside World, by downloading the Buzzfeed News app. The rule mainly covers how important it is to stay informed and take and outside interest in the world. I would usually just check the app 1-2 times a day as well as making the conscious effort to look up anything that I had questions about rather than just brush it off. One of my favorite quotes from the chapter was, “Taking an interest in the outside world is about developing you, rather than for the world’s benefit.” (Templar 19)

                My favorite thing about this rule was how informed it made me feel. It helped me gain knowledge of the world and an interest in journalism from reading some of the articles. I feel that it is very important to know what’s going on in the world despite only being a teenager. Even if an issue doesn’t seem to directly affect my own life it is still very important to someone else’s. I feel that having and interest about the outside world is also caring about the world. The book holds a similar statement, “The happiest, mot well-balanced, most successful people in life are those who are part of something. Part of the world.” (Templar 18)

                My grandma doesn’t like to watch the news because she feels that it is often too sad. Which is true, but avoiding something because it gives off a negative feeling doesn’t eradicate the problem itself. It only creates ignorance to these issues that lets them continue and worsen. I’ve been told many times that knowledge is power, and that power is necessary for change. I hold a device that can access basically anything and it seems redundant to not use it. We all have that potential for power, knowledge, and change so why don’t we use it?