Scavengers vs Discerners

In todays day and age, we are no longer looking for information but rather choosing between information.

I remember as a kid, before social media algorithms were telling me what to consume and how to think, it was all on me. It was my job to search for information whether through the internet, experiences, or books.

Now I simply log into to YouTube, Instagram, or X and am constantly bombarded with ideas, videos, and information that I was never searching for in the first place. It’s nice because I get to hear from people I would have never discovered and also get to broaden my worldview, but it is troubling figuring out who or what content I should be consuming.

Discerning what information will benefit you has never been more important.

Many of us have already heard everything we need to hear, it just so often gets lost in all the noise. Writing things down and revisiting them is something I need to work on and something many could benefit from. I also think it would be wise to ever so often go through your following list and make sure those you are following align with your values and aspirations.

The noise in our lives is only continuing to get louder in this digital age. A lot of us are passive consumers of information. There’s no longer any critical thinking involved after hearing someone’s ideas. I think everything you see, hear, and read should be viewed with a little skepticism. Who is saying this? How could what they’re saying benefit them or a group? What narrative might they building?

Make room for quiet reflective moments in your daily life. It could be journaling or simple voice recordings. What good is any of this information if you don’t reflect on it and filter out the good from the bad?

Chris Williamson talks about this a little more with Greg Mckewon here.

Thanks for reading.