John Ortberg begins Chapter 3 (“No Mo FOMO: Overcoming the Fear of Missing Out”) of All the Places to Go with the statement that “ironically, it’s vulnerability, not invincibility, that leads to the human connections we really hunger for.” In contrast, the epidemic of using social media sites to compare our lives to others has given rise to a new electronic disease. An MIT professor, Sherry Turkle, calls it FOMO- fear of missing out.
Pastor Ortberg notes that FOMO is fed by comparison and is, in a sense, behind the very first sin- because Adam and Eve wanted to be like God. Yet, John observes, FOMO can have a positive impact on our lives:
“And yet, for all its dangers, FOMO tells us something fundamental about ourselves. We have an insatiable hunger for more. We have a longing for life beyond what we are experiencing right now. Handled rightly, FOMO can lead us to God’s open doors.”
John adds that fear of missing out is behind the man John considers one of the greatest geniuses in American history- Ron Popeil. Ron’s infomercials always ended with this tagline: “But wait! There’s more.” No matter how tantalizing the featured product, the viewer’s imagination was fired by that promise of more.
Today’s question: What do you long for in life beyond what you’re currently experiencing? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Little by little”
