Entrepreneurs all knows how essential critical thinking skills are to our success. That art of objectively observing, analyzing, and evaluating information to make the best judgment call possible is something we do every day. But it’s far from the only critical skill we need to get by.
Let’s be honest: our modern world is full of noise. We’re constantly bombarded with a deluge of news, social media, commentary, and information. Not only are we in a state of eternal information overload, but we’re facing any number of agendas looking to incense our emotions: particularly those of anger and fear.
So as much as we need to think critically about the information we take in, we also need to filter out a lot of noise. After all, we only have so much time, attention, and energy. You want to make sure it counts. That’s where the art of critical ignoring comes in.
What is Critical Ignoring?
Critical ignoring is very simply the art of choosing what information you let into your life. It’s knowing how to recognize and filter misleading and poor-quality information while also protecting yourself from distractions that can be harmful to your mental health and leadership abilities.
You’re killing distractions before they have the chance to live rent free in your head.
4 Questions that Reveal What You Should Ignore
Question #1 – Is this from a credible source?
First and foremost, we must learn to vet information. There are countless concerted efforts to deceive online, from the innocuous pranks to insidious disinformation campaigns. When you’re faced with any piece of information, look for these indicators of credibility:
Author credentials and relevant experience
Peer-review and scientific study
Corroboration with the latest research
An unbiased presentation of multiple viewpoints
Clear, reputable citations
Beware too, of your own biases. It’s too easy to look for information that reinforces your opinion. Be sure to consume information outside of your echo chamber!
Question #2 – Is this information inciting strong emotions?
An emotional response to content isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Human beings are emotional creatures. With that said, emotions have a habit of taking over. They can consume your thoughts and throw you off your groove. The machinations of the news cycle are designed to provoke.
Before you let content take root in your mind, consider how it makes you feel. It’s hard to ignore emotionally charged stimuli. It’s why some people just can’t ignore online “trolls.” We know that the best thing to do is to block them and move on – but our pride and emotions don’t always let us.
Remove emotional hotbeds from your newsfeed. Don’t look at the comments section on social media. If you know it’s going to get you riled up, don’t give it an inch!
Question #3 – Is this something I can impact in any feasible way?
As citizens of the digital age, we exposed to information from across the globe. While there’s merit in being a globally aware individual, we must be wary of getting too tied up in things that we have no control over. It doesn’t make sense to devote your mental time and energy into things that you can’t control nor impact.
There’s a time and place for these things. You need to recognize when exposure to a particular topic or issue is negatively impacting your mental health and ability to operate efficiently. If it’s not something you can do anything about, put it aside – or decide what you can do.
Question #4 – What ulterior motives are at play?
Almost every piece of information we see online has an agenda. People are trying to sell you something – a product, an ideology, a lifestyle. Truly neutral information is almost impossible to transmit, even with the best of intentions. Recognizing these motives allows you to weigh the trustworthiness and value of it.
Exposing yourself to other people’s viewpoints can be valuable. That’s not in question here. Just recognize the reality of the situation and filter out biases accordingly.
Curating your digital environment isn’t selfish. We cannot control everything. We cannot consume every piece of information. You want to ensure that the information you take in, particularly in a professional context, is valuable, applicable, and necessary.
Shut out the noise or it’ll drive you crazy!
How do you manage your daily information intake? Share your tips in the comments.