Noise

The downside of the Information Age is that we have all become flooded with noise, so much so that we can't even hear our own souls nagging at us. I see noise affecting us two ways: first, when we're researching or trying to find something we're looking for, we get bombarded by confounds (the Internet is a major culprit); second, when we're determining where we want to go in life, we receive hoards of influence and advice that don't agree with what we truly want.

Don't fret, if you are aware of the presence of noise, then you are on the first step to navigating through this jungle.

To address Internet research, which I see as a big problem for people these days: Stop! Before you go online, ask yourself what exactly it is you are searching for. Get everything clear in your head first, what your intent is, what you wish to learn, what type of information you seek. Only then, proceed. If you realize that you're slowly starting to veer from the path that you've set for yourself, slap yourself and gain back your senses before you continue further. This is easier said than done. Sometimes you become so engrossed in non-essential information that you don't even realize that you're reading something totally unrelated to what you were originally pursuing. That's when you've been stricken by the "Wikipedia-virus": you go from article, to article, to article, to article, to article...until you're lost, then you leave the computer, forgetting just what in the hell you were doing in the first place.

Lastly, to address those confused about their lives (with school, career, pastimes, etc.): I can only say this, know yourself! Don't let others influence you. Don't lose yourself in things that you think are you. If all your friends like to play ball, don't join just because you're the only one left out, this would only confuse your own identity. Similarly, if all your peers want to pursue a finance career following graduation, that doesn't justify giving up your own ambitions in favor of a job that may be completely out of your league. When people get excited they like to talk and share all their personal interests and ambitions. Hear it, but don't listen to it. It's good to be adaptive, fluid like water, but not to the point where you become so dispersed that you're literally not yourself anymore. You can rely on others specifically for inspiration and personal growth, but be sure to cancel out all the noise.

Too bad for Hansel and Gretel, who have strayed onto weeded paths.



*If you didn't bother to read all that, I summed everything up nicely for you: Don't fall prey to influence. Use information and resources to further your original agenda, not to distract you from your central focus.