Welcome to Information Overload

I don't think it's any coincidence that my chosen day job profession is as a Market Researcher. I love doing research and information gathering. I able to learn make better choices.

Of course I might go a little overboard with my research on occasion.

I have a hard time making decisions and choices if I can't count for every possible variable. Since many of these possible variables are unknown, the possible starts to turn into the impossible. It sort of feeds into my own fears and self doubt. It's the primal fear of the unknown (well in my case unknown consequences of my actions).

It doesn't help that in this day in age, there are more sources to obtain information. The Internet is a wonderful tool that allows all of us to find out about obscure facts, the best restaurants, and places to go. We're able to document our experiences and promote the things we like best to a wider audience that generations couldn't. We can do this instantly.

Not only can we find out about world events we might not otherwise hear about on the news or facts that might not be taught in schools, we are also exposed to many new and different opinions. Behind the anonymity of our computer screens, we can engage in discussions that we might not otherwise have participated in.

The Internet often feels like the ultimate freedom of expression.

The downside to all of this information is that it can be overwhelming, easily taken out of context, and extremely misleading. Many of us are already seeing the effects of this.

Bias is always present in any source of information. The phrase "history is written by the winners" can be found in almost every history documentary. Facts and numbers can easily be manipulated to show the outcome that someone wants.

That phrase "there are two sides to every story" has also been tossed around a lot. I think this one in particular is too simplistic for the reality we live in. There are usually dozens of different perspectives each based on past knowledge and future outcomes.

What does this mean for me as a person who needs as much information as possible to make a decision?

Well, it can mean that it takes me far longer than necessary to make choices, perhaps a missed opportunity, and the constant feeling that what ever choice I end up making is the wrong choice. It creates a need for perfection and a fear of failure. It makes me constantly compare myself to my peers and those who have already succeeded, while I hesitate to take the next step in my own life.

There's a lot of information to be gathered. There are a lot of things I still need to learn. I will continue doing research because it's what I do best. However, I'll have to work on stopping myself from becoming overwhelmed by all of it.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.