Living Happily Beside the Enemy

“Bad news is good news” for some people. Whether we realize it or not, this has become a common norm over the past few decades. Rejecting it or constantly resenting it can actually complicate our own lives, because we end up doing everything we can to push negativity out of sight and out of mind.

Yet the opposite tendency has also emerged. Many of us seem unable to live without bad news, as if something were missing when everything goes smoothly. In fact, journalism—the profession I rely on for my livelihood—might have faded away long ago if bad news had suddenly disappeared and the world had become entirely peaceful and prosperous.

According to some researchers, our attraction to bad news did not appear out of nowhere. It has evolutionary roots. In ancient times, when humans lived as hunters or farmers, as nomads or settlers on unclaimed land, or as migrants entering unfamiliar territories, conflict could erupt at any moment. A neighboring tribe might harbor an old grudge. Or they might simply want to increase their followers without bothering with introductions.

These conditions pushed early humans to develop the art of survival. One crucial skill was the ability to recognize early signals of tension before they erupted into open attack. Over time, this ability was passed down from generation to generation through language, culture, traditional beliefs, and even everyday practices such as cooking. (In Indonesia, for example, there is a snack called tahu berontak, literally meaning “rebellious tofu.” *)

This inherited sense of vigilance has survived across centuries, even as our surroundings have grown far more comfortable than those faced by earlier generations. As modern life removed many of the hardships once common in human experience, this instinct for alertness gradually lost its natural outlets. Then came the internet. Suddenly, the constant stream of information—often dominated by bad news—provided a new channel through which people could exercise their vigilance and survival instincts without sacrificing their comfort.

Illustration: Wijayakusuma flower

A Harmony That Sustains Life

Negative news about Africa, and especially about South Sudan, often overshadows many of the continent’s remarkable qualities. As the second largest continent after Asia, Africa holds countless natural and cultural treasures that rarely receive attention.

Few people realize that South Sudan is a remarkable haven of diversity—not only in biodiversity, but also in ethnicity, language, and culture. Alongside its vast tropical forests, the country hosts a rich variety of wildlife, particularly mammals that still migrate across the land, seemingly untouched by the region’s long-running conflicts.

The Dinka people, who make up about 38 percent of South Sudan’s population, have a unique way of protecting the natural environment around them, a tradition they maintain to this day. Dinka Indigenous Belief encourages a relationship of friendship with nature. One expression of this belief is the idea that wild animals stand on the same level as humans.

This respect is reflected in a practice known as totemism, in which certain animals serve as protective symbols for particular clans. For example, a clan whose totem is the lion is strictly forbidden from hunting or harming lions. The same rule applies to clans whose totems are other animals.

From an early age, Dinka children are taught to recognize the signs that a lion might be nearby. Monkeys suddenly leaping from tree to tree, for instance, can signal the presence of a lion. Importantly, they are not taught to see the lion as a supernatural threat or as a manifestation of evil spirits.

If signs of a lion appear while they are herding cattle near a river, the assumption is simple: the lion is thirsty and wants to drink. The herders calmly guide their cattle away to give the animal space to approach the water. Even young Dinka herders learn which body movements or sounds they should avoid so they do not attract the lion’s attention or make it feel threatened. This kind of knowledge is common among many African tribal communities and has been passed down through generations.

The combination of sensitivity to natural signals and the belief in totemism means that the Dinka rarely experience incidents of people being attacked by lions, crocodiles, or other dangerous animals. Like many other traditional communities across Africa, they do not hunt for sport or entertainment. Hunting is done only when necessary to meet basic needs.

The Dinka also herd their livestock in a nomadic pattern, moving from one area to another after a certain period of time. This practice allows grass and other plants time to grow back, ensuring that the land remains fertile and balanced.

Living Happily with the “Enemy”

For people who dislike reading or watching it, bad news can feel like a frightening monster capable of triggering anxiety or even depression. But in reality, it is almost impossible to escape it entirely. No matter how carefully we try to isolate ourselves, someone around us will eventually bring that news into our lives—whether it is a partner, a relative, a friend, or another family member.

The trending drama in real life today highlights a simple truth: bad news cannot be prevented from appearing and disrupting our plans. What ultimately matters is how we respond to it. Our reactions determine how our emotions cope with the steady flow of troubling information.

Imagine a young Dinka herder who regularly encounters lions while tending cattle on the grasslands. If the child reacts with panic and fear, those emotions may push them to act impulsively, putting themselves in greater danger.

The same thing happens when we face bad news. Fear and anxiety often drive us to react excessively, as if the entire of your world suddenly depends on that one piece of troubling information.

Learning to recognize the signals around us—just as the Dinka do in their relationship with nature—can help us respond with calm awareness rather than panic. 

*) Tahu berontak is an Indonesian snack made of fried tofu filled with stir-fried bean sprouts, carrots, and scallions packed tightly inside the tofu shell, giving the impression that the vegetables are “rebelling” from within.