We are very influenced by completely automatic things that we have no control over, and we don't know we're doing it.
Daniel KahnemanPeople tend to assess the relative importance of issues by the ease with which they are retrieved from memoryโand this is largely determined by the extent of coverage in the media. Frequently mentioned topics populate the mind even as others slip away from awareness. In turn, what the media choose to report corresponds to their view of what is currently on the publicโs mind. It is no accident that authoritarian regimes exert substantial pressure on independent media. Because public interest is most easily aroused by dramatic events and by celebrities, media feeding frenzies are common
Daniel KahnemanPoverty is clearly one source of emotional suffering, but there are others, like loneliness. A policy to reduce the loneliness of the elderly would certainly reduce suffering.
Daniel Kahneman