I was conversing with a colleague about his adult daughter. He explained a debate they had had about a certain social issue. While he kept arguing from a broader context, she was focused on the report she had heard on the radio that morning. The more he insisted there was nuance to the issue, the more she focused on the conclusions she had drawn based on two minutes of “news.” They finally agreed to disagree. He paused after describing all this and lamented, “She has a lack of information, but a strong opinion.”
This has made me wonder how many of us suffer from this affliction. We are bombarded with data and viewpoints from sources desired and undesired. There is a good deal of evidence the Millennial generation develops its views of political and social issues based on trending Twitter stories, Facebook posts, and information gathered from conversations with others who do the same. Older generations struggle to digest the constant news feed crawling across the bottom of most TV screens. The stakes are high. We elect policy makers, care for our children, contribute to causes, and make other life altering decisions based on this fire hose of “helpful” insights.
So how do smart decision makers manage this? They take time. They filter. They withhold judgment. In this impatient world, there is an insistent demand to express an immediate opinion because everyone else seems to be doing so. Smart decision makers resist these temptations. They say, “That’s an interesting issue,” or “I don’t know,” or “Let me get back to you.” When they do take a position, it is well organized, cogent, and reflects the larger context. How about you?