I’ve been reading Purity of Heart - Is to Will One Thing by Søren Kierkegaard, for weeks now. I came across the following passage this morning and can’t help but highlight it.

Such a thoughtful one does not willingly pass judgement on many things, and just this helps him to will only one thing. He thinks it is not altogether an advantage to live in a populous city where because of the swiftness of the means of communication almost everyone can easily have a hasty and superficial judgement about everything possible. On the contrary, he looks upon this easiness as a temptation and a snare and he learns earnestness in order as an individual to be concerned about his eternal responsibility.
— Søren Kierkegaard

In SK’s day, people that lived in small towns, or in the country, could escape the sudden rushes to judgement that are encouraged by mass communication. Nowadays the only escape is self exile, geography has been defeated by communication technology. The population of your city does not hinder you from rushing to judgment about news.