ay what you like about the Germans, you can always count on them to find just the right word for anything. Take “to “world pain”. It signifies despair at the suffering in the world – and a deep anguish that stems from knowing that a better world is possible. Is there a more apt encapsulation of the current moment?
For the past six months I, like many others, have been suffering from an acute case of weltschmerz. As someone of Palestinian heritage I have been weighed down by survivor’s guilt as I’ve watched the unfolding genocide in Gaza. For a while, I didn’t have the emotional energy to write. The only way I could get out of bed andwas by avoiding the news completely. Which … isn’t an ideal scenario when you largely write about the news for a living.
Obviously, I am writing again now. But for practical purposes I keep an eye on what else is out there. The media industry, after all,; it’s always good to try to secure a parachute, just in case. And, the other day, one seemed to present itself to me in my LinkedIn messages. According to an automated missive from an AI company, I have the perfect set of skills to help them write the first draft of AI history.