10 Things You Should Stop Worrying About

It seems like every day there is a new study or a new test result that proves something is very, very bad for you. From cellphones to plastic water bottles, almost everything has become taboo. John Tierney, of the International Herald Tribune, is as sick of it as we are (though, as a member of the press, just as guilty) and has taken it upon himself to make a list of things you should stop worrying about - it's summertime after all!

He leads off with the ever-pervasive fear of hot dogs. I've never been happier to see the much-maligned food on listicle in my life. Everybody knows that hot dogs are the food you hate to love. So, let's just get over the hate and feel the love. Hot dogs don't cause cancer and a recent study shows that saturated fat isn't always the cause of weight gain. (He explains more, but really, that's all you need to know.)

Second on the list is the carbon footprint left by your car's A/C. I, for one, had no idea that was even a carbon worry - for two reasons: one, um, you're already driving a car and two, i live in New York. Anyway, as it turns out, opting for an open-window policy instead of A/C causes enough aerodynamic drag (thus, increasing your fuel consumption) that the whole thing evens out.

Number three is something about tropical fruit and the carbon footprint of shipping it, but he lost me at kiwi. I love those damn fruits so much that there's no way I'm saying no. Who eats apples anyway? Mangoes are where it's at.

Number four touches on the whole "cellphones cause cancer" debate - which is far, far too complicated for me to even address. The bottom line? Try and cut down, but don't kill yourself. (Or, do - depending on how you look at it.)

Five and six go hand-in-hand as far as I'm concerned: plastic water bottles and plastic bags. Plastic bottles - do people really stress about this? It's not that complicated to get yourself one of those fancy metal bottles or to, you know, use a glass. It really shouldn't be causing you that much worry anyway. And as for plastic bags - like the Environmental Protection Agency says, paper bags ain't so great either, so unless you're extra awesome (which, ideally, you should be) and using cloth bags, stop stressing at the check-out. Let's be honest, you probably drove to the store (blasting your A/C, no less) anyway.

Ha ha! Number seven is about shark attacks. I know it's shark week on Discovery and all, but this is kind of like being worried about getting struck by lightening. It's probably not going to happen, and if it does, there wasn't a whole lot you could do to prevent it.

Hmmm, eight has got me a little torn. John says we shouldn't be worrying about missing ice in the Arctic. He points out that this summer there's more ice than last summer, but agrees that doesn't necessarily rule out a long-term problem. I agree with that, but I also don't want people thinking everything is hunky-dory. The compromise might be to worry, but don't worry yourself sick. Just do the best you can.

And number ten has got to be a joke. There's something about unmarked wormholes -- as opposed to marked ones? -- and alternate universes. If you're worrying about that, I'm not sure that any "10 Things To Stop Worrying About" list is really going to help you.

On that note, what do you worry about? Agree / Disagree with any points on the list? Let's talk this out, people.

[via IHT]

Comments

[TheBlackCat]

I, unlike most Americans, do NOT worry about rising gas prices. I live in Boston and have never owned a car, I am fortunate enough to live where there is extensive public transportation. My suburban dwelling friends always tell me how lucky I am right now to not have to worry about that.

As an army wife, I am extremely worried about McCain getting elected. He fought against the GI bill that was just passed, and my husband and I are counting on that bill for his college education. Also we have already seen his benefits cut (which McCain supports) to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy (you know, the ones who started the war in the first place and will never have to fight it). I am very concerned that, as an army family, McCain's anti - veteran agenda will cause our standard of living to significantly decrease if he is elected. Also if McCain is elected my husband will certainly returning to Iraq. He was lucky enough to come out healthy mentally and physically from his last tour; but should he not be so lucky the next time around, the Republican party's slashing of services to veterans (fully supported by veteran McCain) will prevent him from getting adequet care.

[ZimboChick]

People are so gullible. The thing you replace is replaced by another bad habit. Change your ways (if u can) but live a little please. Eat a hot dog

[Raymondf]

I don't worry about global warming. It's a farce. The only thing I worry about are the children that are being molested, murdered. All the people in the world that are starving. All the college students being murdered, mostly women although their are a few men also. I worry about terrorism and people who's
thoughts are too blow up themselves and take 100's of people with them. How do you fight people like that. You can't fight people who aren't affraid to die. Everyone has already forgotten 09-11-01 but I haven't and never will. I don't worry about anything else except maybe the economy. If we drill and use clean coal technology which we can already turn coal into gas, or liquid now. We do this while we are working on the other alternatives which will take 15 to 30 years to develope. That's all I worry about.

[max08]

You're right about the global warming farce. Enron hyped a global warming threat to create a carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program in the 90s, after its highly successful creation of the $20 billion-per-year sulphur dioxide cap-and-trade program. The problem was that CO2 is not a pollutant, and therefore the EPA had no authority to cap its emission. So Enron engaged the Clinton admin and created the Kyoto Protocol. Un-frickin­-believabl­e. Read:

'How Enron hyped global warming for profit"
http://www.investigatemagazine.com/archives/2006/03/investigate_oct_5.html

"Money and Kyoto Protocol are the real Enron story"
http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2002/Feb/20020226Comm007.asp

P.S. Guess who is the heir to defunct Enron's carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program? Guess who gets the dough? And whose company, registered in London, has this guy buried in their papers as the chief stockholder? Al Gore.

[rickjames77]

I have lived in NYC for years and I am not scared of another major terrorist attack. I am so tired of people from Nebraska telling me that they will never forget. Whatever. Don't forget your pixie dust to keep the boogie man away. I am more worried about my friends and me getting beaten up by the cops for sitting down on the wrong bench.

[TheBlackCat]

As a resident of a major city I have noticed this phenomenon as well- that people in rural areas which would NEVER get attacked worry about terrorism far more than us actual urban dwellers.

Another thing I've noticed is that the people who make the biggest deal over 9/11 and use it to justify anything America does are the SAME people who say that yankee liberals are the worst people in the world and are trying to destroy America. The people who openly wish for the destruction of NYC and its inhabitants then try and make us believe that they care the MOST about 9/11. I don't get it....

[rickjames77]

my guess, about five hundred monkeys with typewriters.

[WoodyCPM]

Really dumb article.

[kanaschwiiz]

A moronic and counter-productive piece, as others have pointed out. This rather contradicts the GREEN tab on HuffPost.

Most of these things you SHOULD be worried about.

A/C is bad. You'd have to be highway driving to create that much drag with open windows. (And yes, you should also feel bad about the car).

You certainly don't need to be too awesome to use cloth bags, never mind re-use plastic ones. A plastic bag scrunched up in one's purse or nap-sack takes very little space and can be re-used again and again.

There's more problems with bottled water than the plastic much of it comes in, beginning with the fact that you're a sucker for paying someone money to ship an inferior product to that which is already delivered (through pipes) to your home.

Is there an opposite function to "Favourite" for this contributor?

[EnuffsEnuffAlready]

Well said, Kanaschwiiz. This head-in-the-sand denial is part of the "know nothing" anti-science, anti-reality stance of too many who apparently believe that if you pretend something doesn't exist, it doesn't. As just one example, the causative link between hot-dog nitrates and cancer is documented beyond all scientific doubt. Why not advocate "not worrying" also about nicotine, alcohol-related traffic deaths, asbestos, TV propoganda, and other health hazards?

[OrganOfThought]

Yes, absolutely correct. There is so much BS in this article, it would take longer than article to show how ridiculous it is. It is like listening to Hannity or Limpba, they lie so fast and in rapid succession, that you would have to DVR their show and pause every 10 seconds and spend 30 minutes each time explaining how wrong and manipulative they are (infuriating). They succeed by creating a culture and an attitude where people want to hear what they say and absorb it quickly without thinking [the dark side is faster - easier]

There is no way to counter that. They control the audio on their show and will talk over you and cut you off even if you are polite. They used to try to get you angry and say something stupid before cutting you off, but now they just tell you to go to hell without discussion (i.e. mark levin).

[Lesscancer]

Not all that long ago-you would see similar articles much like this about cigarette smoking.

Today cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death in the United States.

Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking.

One in every five deaths in the United States is smoking related. Every year, smoking kills more than 276,000 men and 142,000 women.

Clearly in the case of cigarettes our response to suspected cancer- causing exposures was too little too late.

Today we now have children being diagnosed at an unprecedented rate with cancer. 46 children every school day in this country.

We should all be very concerned and working to do what ever we can to reduce cancer-causing exposures that are both unnecessary and preventable, especially in the case of children. Worry no-action YES.

Bill Couzens, Founder Lesscancer.org

[MaxB7706]

Why would you allow this to be posted? Not only are the writer's responses shallow but the writing itself is lacking and rushed.

[zsquared]

this is dumb.
please refrain from posting this junk on HuffPo

[InformedSources]

It's true, worrying does you no good. But positive action is empowering, and can save your life. The approach offered here seems to be that of simply ignoring possible dangers. In other words, stick your head in the sand. This is no more productive than worrying, because it leaves you open to real dangers. In fact, it could get you dead.

For example, you say, "Hot dogs don't cause cancer." Do you have any evidence to that effect? You don't provide any. Whereas there is ample evidence that those who habitually eat hot dogs and other cured meats DO have a higher incidence of cancer than those who don't. A little research on the National Institute of Health's PubMed database, or simply Googling the issue, will reveal this. But like so many "columnists" on this site, you don't bother with all that. You just broadcast your unsupported assumptions as if they were fact. So irresponsible.

I am a fan of this site for its political coverage. But articles like this make me wonder about the veracity of the site in general. When I read this drivel, I really start to wonder.

[SolarPowerGuy]

#1, fear of hot dogs. Huh?

#2, automobile air conditioners: "opting for an open-window policy instead of A/C causes enough aerodynamic drag (thus, increasing your fuel consumption) that the whole thing evens out." This depends HEAVILY on your driving speed. If you are traveling under 35 MPH, and an open window will cool you, use it. Yes, this means you might roll your windows up and down a few times during a trip.

#5 and #6, plastic water bottles and plastic bags. Yes, use a glass, or a washable Tupperware tumbler. And get your canvas shopping bags already! I've had mine for 16 years.

[larry278]

I've seen how hot dogs are made & what goes in to hot dogs. I won't eat hot dogs, even kosher or halal hot dogs. Hot dogs are another mystery meat.

[BRlongview]

Yes. Stop WORRYING about these things, and start DOING something about them.

Especially bags at the grocery store. Once you start the habit, it's actually easy to remember, because you start associating "store" with "bring bags". And once it becomes habit, it's not even an issue for you.

There's little question among educated people that individuals MUST change their everyday habits in order to prevent future troubles. And you're right, worrying doesn't do anything but stress you out. But good actions can actually quiet that worry and make you feel good too.

[TheBlackCat]

The thing is that this author doesn't understand there's a difference between WORRYING about something and BEING AWARE of something. I am AWARE that cloth bags are better than disposable bags. So I bring cloth bags to the grocery store. The decision to do so in no way invloved me worrying, feeling guilty or inconveniencing myself. Years ago I just became aware that cloth bags are less wasteful, so I started using them. People who are against the green movement think it's all about paranoia and self imposed guilt, but I don't feel either of those things. I just recognize my actions have consequences and behave accordingly. Even if years later, it turns out the environmental movement WAS overreacting to the threat posed to the earth, there's no DOWN side to making your home more sustainable or to becoming less wastedul by reducing, reusing, and recycling: but there are many upsides (like saving me a ton of money) so why not just do it??

[bmermaid]

Read Dale Carnegie's "How to stop worrying & start living"
Seriously, it changed my life. You can buy an old copy for a dollar on e-bay or one of the internet book stores.
The gist is, most of the things that we worry about are not going to happen anyway, and/ or we can't do anything about it. So instead of worrying, figure out if there's anything you can do about it, and do it. If you're worried about something that might happen, figure out what would be the worst thing that could happen, think about how you would best deal with it or live with it in that case, and that should ease your mind.

[FrictionSoul]

Your comment is ironic because the things on this list ARE things you CAN do something about.

Why would you eat hot dogs? Most of them are very unhealthy for you.

Why wouldn't you limit the use of your A/C?

Why wouldn't you use the speakerphone on your cellphone if it's safer for you?

Why wouldn't you ditch the plastic bottles knowing they contain hormone disruptors?

And how do you know all of the above isn't leading to the Arctic ice melt?