Is there a downside to having too much information?
Especially in an age of widespread information, I’d think that it’s completely possible to be entertained with information that doesn’t matter – or isn’t true for us.
Television, social media, YouTube, our friends, family, the barber – everyone has their way of doing things, and many are trying to convince you that their way is better.
Technology has connected us to each other more than ever; and now, we’re exposed to each others thoughts and opinions all the more.
Most of us are level-headed people.
We know that we have our own experiences and beliefs; and we know why we believe the things we believe.
So, what sways us into thinking in another way?
When I look around me, I realize that everybody is influenced to some degree; and that’s natural.
According to marketing professionals, the 3 deepest ways we’re influenced is
- From information by those we believe to be an authority
- From information exposed to us several times
- From information that relates to personal traumatic experiences
From what I’ve noticed in my own experiences, there’s lots of distractions that can sometimes cloud judgment, and make it easier for us to be influenced.
We can hear something from someone who seems to have achieved some understanding, and we automatically categorize what they say as truth.
If it makes the slightest bit of sense, many of us don’t think to form our own thoughts; instead, we just adopt theirs, without even understanding their complete idea.
Just from my own experiences on social media, I’ve seen how so many of us have developed habits of assuming, rather than verifying – and worse, judging, rather than understanding.
At the end of it, it’s our mind and our world view; we decide who’s an authority, and where our attention should go.
We’re the one’s who determine noise from something worth listening to.
And in this way, we’re the one’s who are responsible for our beliefs – which will ultimately shape our reality.