Kathryn Schulz on Gaslighting, Misinformation, and Coping with Grief

Personal Grief

Kathryn Schulz shares her insights on personal grief, emphasizing its deeply private nature and the profound impact it has on individuals. She notes that while society offers resources to navigate specific types of loss, such as losing a sibling or partner, there is less guidance on dealing with broader, unmoored grief. This type of grief can arise from losing multiple aspects of life simultaneously, like a job and a loved one, or from collective crises like the pandemic 1. Schulz reflects on the potential for finding meaning in loss, acknowledging that while some suffering is irredeemable, other losses can teach valuable lessons about resilience and the human condition 2.

I tread lightly always with the notion that our suffering will somehow be redeemed.

--- Kathryn Schulz

She believes that understanding both large and small losses can help us live more meaningfully, despite the inevitability of loss 2.

   

Societal Grief

Schulz examines the collective grief experienced by society, particularly in the wake of large-scale events like the pandemic and economic downturns. She describes how societal grief manifests in various forms, from the opioid crisis to the collapse of industries, and how it has been exacerbated by the pandemic 3. This collective grief is both a personal and communal experience, often leaving individuals feeling isolated despite being part of a larger grieving community. Schulz emphasizes the loneliness of grief, even when surrounded by support, and the challenges of coping with it 3.

We are a grieving society right now.

--- Kathryn Schulz

Ryan Holiday and Schulz discuss the phenomenon of doom scrolling, where people fixate on uncontrollable dangers, further amplifying societal anxiety and grief 4.