Would it bother you if I was recommending products that I do not use myself? Would it be upsetting to find out that I sell products and devices in my office that are not the best that I could find, but bring me the most profit? Would you lose all faith in me if you found out that a lot of what I say is inaccurate or untruthful? I know the answer to all three questions is yes. And it should be!
Information today is so abundant and available, and a lot of it is so good. But a lot of it is inaccurate, exaggerated, and even dangerous. I read books, listen to podcasts, ask questions, and pay attention, all in an effort to learn more, gain insight, and improve my chances of success. I pull the information I get from many sources. And while the message is important, I play very close attention to the messenger.
Here are five tips that will help you vet out who to listen to and ensure you are getting better, more valuable information…
- Don’t rely on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook posts. I do get valuable information in a lot of these posts, but they cannot be your sole source of information. A snippet of a conversation can be taken out of context, the person giving the information could be exaggerating or lying, the stats or figures could be incorrect, and more recently, the post could be AI-generated. I recently read that 95% of all information posted on TikTok about ADHD is incorrect. Social media can be a source for powerful quotes, valuable tips, and quick news updates, but if you rely solely on these platforms, you will be misled and will get misinformation.
- Don’t only go to sources that support your positions. I’ve often said… I don’t want to be right, I want the truth. You can easily find sources to prove your position by going to sites and sources that only support that position. There is great value in seeking out information supporting opposing views. During COVID, with all the confusion on social distancing, masks, and vaccines, answers would seem very clear if you only listened to one side. During that time, I reached out to as many experts as possible, on both sides of each issue, and was able to get enough information to get to what I believed to be the truth. Seek not to “be right,” but to find the truth.
- Pay attention to the money. Be wary of anyone providing you with compelling information if they have something to sell you, have a vested interest in you agreeing with them, or if their livelihood depends on the information they are providing. The opioid crisis started with doctors listening to the drugs reps working for Purdue Pharma, the makers of Oxycontin. That company did everything and anything to sell more drugs. And despite overwhelming evidence that these drugs were addictive and harmful (doctors watched their patients spiral downhill), they kept listening to the drug reps. A person or company may mean well and believe what they are telling you, but it is well-known that if someone’s income is tied to a particular stat or so-called set of facts, they will stick to that stat or so-called fact, even in the light of new, more accurate information.
- Listen to those that have already achieved what you are looking to achieve. One of the most powerful success strategies is modeling, which is finding someone that has done what you want to do, or has what you want to have, and ask them exactly how they got there. Then do exactly what they did. I won’t listen to a financially destitute person on how to become wealthy. I don’t follow the advice of failed business owners on how to run a successful business. And if someone is not healthy, I tend to disregard their health tips. The person who’s been divorced four times may provide some insight on what not to do, but I’m more inclined to listen to the person that has been married for 50 years and appears to have a loving and successful marriage. I once rode in a golf cart with a medical doctor that was 150 pounds overweight, drinking a soda, and eating a doughnut, and he wanted to debate some of the positions I had on health and wellness. That’s not someone I would be influenced by or listen to on healthy lifestyle.
- Use multiple sources. If you rely on one source for information, you have nothing to compare that information to. You could get information overload by collecting too much data, but you need enough information, from enough sources, to be able to filter out what’s contradictory and note what overlaps. By reading enough, and gathering enough information, you may not become an expert in that field or topic, but will have enough of a foundation that you can decipher what makes sense and what does not, and what is true and what is not. Seeking multiple sources helps ensure you get varying points of view, a clearer picture of the topic, and more in-depth data. And from all that information, you can tease out a more accurate and true answer.
- Make sure that the people you listen to are following their own advice. It can be upsetting to find out that the person pushing an idea, product, or agenda, doesn’t really believe in the idea, use the product, or follow the agenda. I recently read that half of all mutual fund portfolio managers in the U.S. do not invest in their own funds. Hmmm. There were doctors recommending the COVID vaccine that did not get it themselves. And how many stories are there about pastors of churches having affairs, police officers committing crimes, and politicians getting caught in lies? I tend to disregard the advice of those who live by the adage “do what I say, not what I do.” A patient of mine was told by their medical doctor that they needed to lose weight. That doctor, quite overweight himself, was upset when she told him that she’d lose weight if he would also.
The first step to getting from where you are now to where you want to be is to figure out how to get there. This requires not just information, but good information. It’s impossible, especially in this day and age, to be able to fully trust what you read and hear. Applying the six tips above will help you get better information from more reliable sources and quicker. Ultimately, the proof is in the pudding (as they say), so if you do get information and apply it, but are not getting the results you expected… go gather more information. And for me, the messenger is every bit as important as the message.
