Challenge Negative Self-talkYou don't have to give power to negative self-talk. All positive change begins with positive thinking. When you have "vultures" in your mind, get rid of them with reality testing, alternative explanations, perspective-checking, and goal-setting. Try reality testing. What is my evidence for and against my thinking?Are my thoughts true, or are they just my interpretations?Am I jumping to negative conclusions?How can I find out if my thoughts are actually true?Look for alternative explanations.Are there any other ways that I could look at this situation?What else could this mean?If I were being positive, how would I perceive this situation?Put it in perspective.Is this situation as bad as I am making it out to be?What is the worst thing that could happen? How likely is it?What is the best thing that could happen?What is most likely to happen?Is there anything good about this situation?Will this matter in five years?Use goal-directed thinking.Is thinking this way helping me to feel good or to achieve my goals?What can I do that will help me solve the problem?Is there something I can learn from this situation, to help me do it better next time?

The information ecosystem is broken. Our political conversations are happening on infrastructure—Facebook, YouTube, Twitter—built for viral advertising. The velocity of social sharing, the power of recommendation algorithms, the scale of social networks, and the accessibility of media manipulation technology has created an environment where pseudo events, half-truths, and outright fabrications thrive. Edward Murrow has been usurped by Alex Jones.