• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Sources of Insight

Better Insights, Better Results

  • ABOUT
  • ARTICLES
    • Latest
    • Personal Development
    • Leadership Skills
    • Productivity Skills
    • Career Development
    • Relationships
    • Mental Health
    • All Topics
  • BOOKS
  • ARTICLES
  • COURSES
  • RESOURCES
    • Book Summaries
    • Books I Recommend
    • Great Lessons
    • Great Quotes
    • All Resources
  • CONTACT

Information Overload is Not the Problem, It’s Filter Failure

by JD

Information Overload

“There are many things of which a wise man might wish to be ignorant.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

My manager pointed out to me a while back that today’s problem isn’t information overload, it’s filter failure.

Here’s a quote by Clay Shirky, New York University new-media professor, writer, and consultant:

“What we’re dealing with now is not the problem of information overload, because we’re always dealing (and always have been dealing) with information overload…

Thinking about information overload isn’t accurately describing the problem; thinking about filter failure is.”

What this tells me is that it’s increasingly important for us to create better filters and lenses.

Having access to information is great, but we need to filter and focus based on what we want to accomplish and what we need.

You Might Also Like

3 Steps to Crush Your Overwhelming List of To-Dos
10 Ways to Defeat Decision Fatigue
How High Performers Handle Task Overload

Category: Effectiveness, Personal Effectiveness, Productivity, QuotesTag: Effectiveness

About JD

Previous Post:OverwhelmedShut Down, Compartmentalize, or Channelize (What We Do When We’re Overwhelmed)
Next Post:Be Effective, then Efficient

Sidebar

About the Author

JD
I'm J.D. Meier.
Microsoft 25 years.
Join me on a quest for the world's best insight and action for work and life.
Learn more...

My Best-Selling Book

This is the book that changes lives ...

Become the greatest version of yourself!

Unleash your greatest potential! Better insights, better results! Learn proven practices for mind, body, emotions, career, finance, relationships, spirituality, and fun.

Growth. Resilience. Strength.

Growth is the art of embracing change, constantly refining our skills, and expanding our potential in a world of endless possibilities. Resilience is our ability to bounce back, turning adversities into opportunities, and leveraging setbacks as powerful lessons. Strength is the foundation, rooted in our values and beliefs, that empowers us to navigate challenges and shape our unique path forward.

Stand on the Shoulders of Giants!

Stand on the shoulders of giants and awaken your greatness. Leverage wisdom of the ages and modern sages to explore and expand what you’re capable of. Draw from great books, great people, and great quotes to be more and achieve more.

Topics

  • All Topics
  • Personal Development
  • Future Self
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Leadership
  • Personal Effectiveness
  • Productivity
  • Mental Health

Features

  • Featured Guests
  • Book Summaries
  • Books I Recommend
  • Great Lessons
  • Great Quotes
  • How Tos
  • Lists
  • Products I Recommend
  • All Resources

My Other Sites

  • JD Meier.com
  • Getting Results.com

Copyright © 2023 · Sources of Insight · All Rights Reserved