
Too much information as an impediment for action - ovidem
https://ovidem.com/blog/information-overload/
======
AstralStorm
Completely unconstructive aside from selling a book on a known method of task
management unrelated to the problem. Thinly veiled infomercial?

So what solution so you propose? Preferably one that does not suffer from
limiting perspective like current media gatekeepers and social networks and
search engines do? There are known traps in filtering.

~~~
zwkrt
I reduce information inputs and cognitive load because it helps me focus on
things I find to be important.

Current things I do to relieve the stress of information overload: I do not
use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter and I only look at my ~10
subscribed subreddits, all of which are meme-free. I only have a Netflix
subscription, which I use infrequently. I use a decoy email for all non-
important things like receipts, mailing lists, etc., about which I receive no
notifications. I pre-cook my meals whenever possible. I live in an apartment
even though I can afford not to. I have one debit and one credit card through
the same bank, and my wallet has only these cards, an ID and a transit pass. I
exercise at a circuit training gym so I don't have to plan my workouts.

To some people this seems like ridiculous/overboard, but to me the opposite is
true. I estimate that I have re-gained 3+ hours per day of high quality
personal time by reducing my consumption and getting a job closer to my home.
This has allowed me to do work I consider important such as volunteering and
creating less superficial relationships. This doesn't even account for the
stress relief that comes with not having constant FOMO and political malaise
from social media or having to worry about house maintainence.

I still try to evaluate my life to see if I can further streamline unimportant
nonsense, but I think I'm hitting a point of diminishing returns--if I removed
more information inputs and responsibilities it would reduce the quality of my
social life, enjoyment of hobbies, and/or personal growth. For instance, I
would get rid of my car as I use it infrequently, but I feel that if I got rid
of it I would become more of a burden on family and friends in my life, many
of whom would need to be drive to me if we wanted to meet. Eventually I would
like to start my own business, which will cause me to have to deal with a lot
more of the types of things I avoid in my life, but I will be able to do it
because of the singular focus I am afforded by not filling my brain with
saccharine garbage.

People, myself included, get caught up wanting the best things, but we can get
caught in thinking that having more good things is more good in itself, when
probably the opposite is true. It is very similar to how the FDA, due to
political reasons, will say things like "people should eat more vegetables",
when in reality the advice should be "people should eat less overall".

------
nhf
This is part of the (recent-ish) history in psychology on the effects of
choice. Maybe relevant: "When Choice is Demotivating".

[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Lepper/publication...](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Lepper/publication/12189991_When_Choice_is_Demotivating_Can_One_Desire_Too_Much_of_a_Good_Thing/links/56107d7d08ae6b29b49c75fa/When-
Choice-is-Demotivating-Can-One-Desire-Too-Much-of-a-Good-Thing.pdf)

