Noise-cancelling headphones are a game changer. You put these on and outside noises are muffled. I can’t explain the acoustical physics of how they work. But you’re able to focus better if needing to concentrate or sleep on an airplane.
Financial fear and stress can increase with so much “noise” in social media and not-so-social media. Fearful analysts, worried politicians, shrieking talk-show hosts are scared about all sorts of things—especially about the future! Distracting noise.
Advertising aims to make you uncomfortable enough, discontented enough, to buy a product or service. Noisy noise.
You hear on the radio, “Unemployment rose to 6.1% and jobless claims increased by 20,000 over last month.” Useless noise.
It sounds unnerving because no context is given. The talking heads don’t provide perspective. Such perspective like 6.1% is still much lower than the last four recessions or that jobless claims usually rise in the colder months because of slowing construction.
When the stock market goes down 200 points, the headline is bigger in the newspaper than when it goes up 200 points. Nuisance noise.
The TV anchor says on Friday that the market ended the week on a bad note by dropping 150 points. She doesn’t tell you that it went up 50 points each day from Monday to Thursday. She doesn’t emphasize that it ended the week higher. Chalkboard-scratching noise.
My advice is to put on your imaginary noise-cancelling headphones. Muffle the day-to-day noise. Stay focused on your long-term financial goals. Read truths in God’s Word more often than the newspaper. Avoid the distractions. Don’t be convinced that everyone is fearful and you should be, too.
Jeremy L. White