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Let’s not be too anxious about anxiety
Some psychologists think we talk about the emotion the wrong way
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We seem to live in a society that is increasingly anxious about anxiety’s very existence, says the writer.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Jemima Kelly
I was once, as an intern, told by a veteran reporter that if I was ever asked the classic “What do you think makes a good journalist?” question in a job interview, there was only one correct answer: paranoia.
I confess to having been somewhat perplexed at the time, but 10 years later, I get it. I was not being encouraged to go around imagining that everyone was out to get me. Rather, I was being reminded of a journalist’s responsibility to publish accurate and fair information. It was a warning against complacency. A nudge, if you like, to hold on to a little bit of good old-fashioned anxiety.
