As a sociologist, I need to tell you:
Your overwhelm is the goal
🧵
1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.
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2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.
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3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.
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1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.
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2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.
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3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.
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4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context
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5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.
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Thank you for this incredible and effective insight. The thought of honing in on three key issues is something I can do and feel informed and be actionable about. Makes me feel not so overwhelmed by EVERYTHING all at once. Thank you, truly!!!
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The point of this post is EXACTLY what I just shared with a group of mothers that I’m in a group with. Some verbalized their anxiety over all the EOs coming out of the WH, especially the Federal $ pauses. We cannot be deterred or let this intentional chaos overwhelm us to the state of apathy.
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That's right, It's intentional. I went to battle against an individual who understood psychological warfare, and one of the 1st things that I learned is that they will immediately throw everything against the wall to dissorent you and continue to build off whatever stuck.
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Thanks for this thread ! I tracked it down after coming across a viral TikTok of someone reading your posts word for word. Thankfully she credited you but I encouraged her to consider sharing the revenue from her post as it’s nearing a million views. Thought you deserved a heads up along with compensation for your expertise tiktok.com/t/ZT2…
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Thank you for the reminder. My focus is on LGBTQ+, women & immigrant rights as well as health equality for historically marginalized communities. In fact, I just started school again for an Anthropology/Sociology degree with a focus on social welfare. I was doing psychology, but i think the pivot was necessary.
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I studied anthropology and I tried psychology, but it wasn’t for me. To me, anthropology is explaining how people are without judgement or your own cultural lens. Humans in reality. There’s a lot of compassion for humans in learning that way. Best of luck! I believe in you. Check out medical anthropology if you can! I found the intersection of culture and health impacting healthcare outcomes for the patient fascinating.
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It's a masterclass in psychological warfare. We know it. That is where we have the advantage this time around.
Fool me once ....
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Thank you. I am desperately trying to find words to explain to myself what this is doing to me. Your explanation is so helpful.
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Ok thriends, I got here a little early so I could check everything out, just waiting for my small contingent of fellow protesters show up at noon! It's 69 degrees with sunshine and a beautiful breeze to greet us while we March 4th for Democracy!
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nervous system reset: stepping outside barefoot (aka earthing) is one of the fastest ways to ground. even 5 minutes can shift everything—heart rate slows, tension eases, mind clears.next time you feel scattered or overstimulated, step outside, plant your feet, and breathe. sometimes, regulation is as simple as reconnecting.
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The most damaging leadership myth?That women need to 'believe in themselves more' to succeed.The truth? We're making rational calculations in a system that punishes our mistakes more harshly than men's.Here's what 25+ years in leadership taught me about this gaslighting campaign:
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