The Obsession with New Things Is Burdening Our Brain
Commercial organizations depend and thrive on our natural
curiosity. That’s right, companies know that people are driven by a strong
obsession for obtaining new information, products and services. Just take a
look at cellphone companies, and how they constantly find ways to upgrade you
to new phones and contracts. Also take a look at your inbox. You’ll no doubt
find countless emails arriving every week that are ads and promotions for new
stuff.
Now, it’s not that new stuff is bad. It’s just that when we attempt
to consume too much new stuff it can be damaging to both our well-being – and
our purse.
With companies desperate to keep introducing new and upgraded
products, it’s no wonder that low-quality, or even faulty items are becoming
more common. And it’s the same with information. There’s so much of it online,
that the quality has undoubtedly become degraded. This can negatively impact
our psyche and spiritual health.
If you look carefully at the information on offer, you’ll see
that only about 10% of it is of high-quality. The rest is fake, throwaway or
just pure garbage. To use Hollywood as an example, you’ll tend to find that
approximately 10% of all movies are exceptionally good. The other 90% of movies
range from average to bad. Unfortunately, as this latter category makes up the
bulk of movies coming out of Hollywood – they’re most likely to be the bulk of
our viewing time too.
Recommendation Is a
Curse
We usually find out about all this new stuff from “big names”
such as celebrities, experts, authority figures and popular online platforms.
Let’s say you fancy purchasing a new book from Amazon. You head
over to their site and are immediately presented with an eye-catching section
called “New Recommendations.” This is where you’re likely to go to when browsing
for a new book purchase.
It’s the same with songs. If you are looking for a new artist or
album, Google Play, iTunes or Spotify will be happy to help you out by
instantly showing the latest releases.
How about movies? You can hear about these in many ways, but
it’s common for Grammy or Oscar award-winning movies to be titles that most
people would be keen to watch.
It appears that our reliability on “authority” for
recommendations and good information started decades ago. These were the days
before the internet. Consumers had to rely on “big names” to recommend good
stuff (eg., movies, music and products). Information was the same too. People
relied heavily on experts to tell them facts, and to give opinions on what
information was valid and relevant.
When Obsession
Becomes Exhaustion
Despite what you might think, the traditional perception about
experts is rapidly being proven to be outdated. Clearly, reviews by experts of
books, songs and movies don’t represent the true value of these
things. In many cases, the so-called experts may present low-quality
stuff to the public as today’s audience has mostly stopped paying attention to
what really constitutes good quality.
As an example for you, think of some of the latest mobile apps
that online stores push. Despite impressive screenshots and features, it only
takes a minute of using the apps to discover that they are next to worthless.
Luckily, you have an uninstall option.
It’s not just products that can leave a bad taste in our mouths
– it’s also information. The internet is a great thing, but its downside is
that it offers us too much choice – and way too much information. (And often
this information is unreliable or blatantly wrong.) It’s no wonder that many of
us suffer from “new stuff fatigue”. We’re literally bombarded 24/7 from all
sides with ads, news and information.
Let’s be honest, our brains have limited space and energy, and
too much new stuff will have a tendency to burn them out. Not only that, but
when the majority of the new information is bad information, this leaves little
space to accept and process good information.
Everything You Take
in Matters
Our obsession with new things is in our nature, but we can turn
things around by controlling what we consume.
For instance, everyone of us can take control of the information
we receive. This can be achieved by only selecting and picking the best and
most relevant information from online and offline sources. By doing this, we’ll
then have the time and space to properly study and absorb the information –
instead of having our minds constantly overloaded.
Once you start being selective with information, you’ll quickly
discover that the recommendations of experts are no longer necessary. You’ll
unearth an intellectual freedom that you never knew was possible. And you’ll
begin to enjoy information again, just like you did when you were a small,
curious child.
While it may initially be hard to take control of incoming
information, don’t let laziness stop you. Make a determined effort to cut out
the dross. This way, you’ll leave yourself with only valuable and appropriate
information.
Here’s an idea for you: instead of watching movies based on
what’s featured in the latest magazines or online sites, dig into the genre you
like, and check out gems you’ve missed all these years. You’ll find that these
movies tug on your heart strings. They will be movies that you genuinely enjoy,
rather than movies that you’re expected to enjoy.
It’s the same with music. Forget the latest releases, step back
in time and choose to listen to artists who made you happy when you were
younger. As soon as these songs start playing, you’ll feel a tingle in your
spine – and an accompanying lift in your mood. Truly, you’ll be energized by
the songs, and you’ll have found your way back to what you really enjoy.
But please don’t take my word for it. Try being selective with
your choice of entertainment, information and products, and see what difference
it makes to your life. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Brian Lee
https://www.lifehack.org/625685/the-obsession-with-new-things-is-burdening-our-brain
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