Why is it that weather forecasts and forecasters try to make you feel miserable?
In the summer, it’s the “heat index.” The forecaster can’t just say it’ll be hot. Or very hot. The forecaster must explain that the temperature will feel even worse than it is. In the winter, it’s the “wind chill factor.” The forecaster can’t just say it’ll be cold. Or very cold. The forecaster must explain that the temperature will feel even worse than it is.
I’m sure they mean well. But sometimes I wish they’d just tell me the facts as accurately as possible and let me decide how I should act upon them. Instead, they try to sell me on the weather, tell me how I’m supposed to dress and behave, and how I’m supposed to feel. It’s less about weather forecasting and more about weather marketing.
In our media-saturated, consumer-oriented culture, much of everyday life is shaped by marketing. We must be sold on a concept. Someone wants to create a need in me that really isn’t a need, a need I didn’t realize I had until I saw a particular ad on TV or on social media (which involved tracking all my preferences and clicks).
I can’t just buy toothpaste – my mouth, life, and relationships must be transformed. I can’t just buy breakfast cereal – I must buy something that’s kid-friendly, tasty, fun, has a toy, and provides 100% of my nutritional needs. I can’t just buy a new shirt – I should make a fashion statement. I can’t just buy a vehicle to get me to and fro – it must be sexy. I can’t just say that this product is good – I have to say it’s phat, dope, lit, sick, or (of course) awesome.
Enough already!
It’s estimated that adults speak about 16,000 words per day (in Science, August 2007). If you translate that into a text document, that’s about 32 pages of text per day (letter-sized paper, one-inch margins, 12-point text). That’s about 500 pages in a two-week period. In other words, you speak enough to produce a novel every two weeks.
Jesus once warned “that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12.36). How many of our 16,000 words per day (or 500 pages per fortnight) are worth remembering? Even more, were our words truthful? Clear? Direct? Loving?
There’s a reason why Jesus said, “let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil” (Matthew 5.37). How elegantly simple! Just say what needs to be said, nothing more, nothing less, no spin, no manipulation. Just truth.
For today and every day say just exactly what needs to be said.
I find it interesting how weather forecasts often emphasize how we should feel rather than just providing the facts. It’s true that marketing has seeped into every aspect of our lives, even the weather. The constant need to sell us on something, whether it’s a product or an experience, can feel overwhelming. I wonder if we’ve lost the ability to make decisions based on simple, straightforward information. Do you think this approach to forecasting actually helps people, or does it just add unnecessary stress?
Sorry I’m so late responding. I just saw this. I think your last phrase is apt. For me, just give me the facts and let me decide. Thanks for responding.