Humans of Chaffey: Kim George
by Rene Madrigal
In a conversation following the Charlie Kirk assassination, English Professor Kim George described the state of the world as akin to the “Upside Down,” the fictional dimension from Netflix’s hit series “Stranger Things.” “It just feels like we’re all in the upside down, but there’s no giant monster coming to drag us all down with it,” she elaborated.
Sitting down for an interview, Kim George discussed how she manages this age of anxiety.
Expanding on the topic of media fit for a tumultuous time, George brought up her recent reading of “The Hunger Games” series. “Good literature and good art transcends age,” Kim said regarding the book series’ late 2000’s/early 2010’s release date.
Professor George notes that the young adult dystopian novel trend was also a symptom of a cultural anxiety at the time: “There are unique things happening in the United States (but) every every generation has a ‘thing’.”
Moving from literature to the primal feeling of anxiety as a whole, George recontextualized the sensation back to humanity’s roots as hunter-gatherers.
“Anxiety is there for a reason, but it can be overwhelming,” she says. “The way the body responds to a panic attack is not too dissimilar to running a marathon.”
Regarding dealing with such a chaotic world and news cycle, George emphasizes the importance of taking steps back to center yourself. The Professor’s preferred methods being yoga, keeping up with hobbies, and especially taking breaks.
“You have to fill up your cup enough to keep you going,” she stresses. “Finding balance is hard, it feels big but it takes a lot of small steps.”
When posed with the possibility of defeat in the face of such pressure, Kim George encourages mindfulness.
“Everyone feels defeated sometimes, bit it is important to find time and space for the small victories,” said George.
“The Anxious Generation” by Johnathan Haidt is George’s primary well of thought regarding modern generations’s seemingly heightened levels of anxiety. In his 2024 book, Haidt attributes this perceived shift in anxiety levels to children being exposed to smartphones and social media at such a young age.
“There’s only so much information your brain can handle,” George claims. In reference to her phone, she comments that sometimes the only solution is to “literally not have it on me.”
Professor George encourages striving toward balance stating: “Balance is not a goal, its a practice.”
When asked about what she does when anxious, Kim George enjoys walking up onto the north side of campus and gazing up at Mt. San Antonio.
“The World’s a dumpster fire, but you can still enjoy the view.”