The Epidemic of Worry

After reading “The Epidemic of Worry” by David Brooks I have a better understanding of anxiety in our world. It is not the same from person to person and is even more different in each country. Anxiety itself can also vary and as described, comes in two main flavors. No two people have the same struggles and often fit into one of the categories based on their social status. The educated have worries specific to problems that occur in their lives. They may feel “plagued by a daily excess of choices” and struggle to find their inner peace. These overwhelmed people tend to “use money to buy privacy, and so cut themselves off” from the world and creating important relationships. This unusual election has stirred up anxiety in most anyone you could ask. Members of the educated class are specifically worried that their lifestyle may “rest on unstable molten layers of anger, bigotry and instability.” When people are comfortable living a specific way and a force threatens to change it, they become afraid -and not necessarily of the change-causing-factor, but of the unknown to come. The less educated often feel anxiety from the feeling that “the structures of society are built for the exploitation of people like themselves.” This creates a sense of helplessness if “everything is rigged.” People begin to doubt their own abilities and control of their lives, creating anxiety. Elections are already complicated but are made even more when including anxiety. Voters tend to not “worry if their candidate can’t pass a fact-check test,” rather they are looking for someone they can relate to, that “shares their exclusion.” Listening to friends and family debate about this election this past year and comparing it to Brooks’ article, I now realize I have heard both “flavors” of anxiety. There are people who fear what Trump would do in office and others who find him refreshing and a change that America needs. Some people have well thought out arguments, but there are always those who’s entire reason for supporting a candidate is fueled by the fear of the opposite being in office. That is what makes this election so unique to the ones before. People are voting based off anxiety of “who they fear the least,” instead of someone they would be proud to have represent our country as president. It has become so extreme that Brooks’ is concerned that “America’s culture may be permanently changed for the worse.” Hopefully after the election is over society can go back to normal until the next election.