A Wild Ride Through the Infosphere
“As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information.”
In this week’s blog, we look at two more of the preconditions that Maslowe called out as important, even necessary, in supporting the pursuit of our basic needs; without these in place, he suggests, we will find ourselves feeling threatened, and spending more time working to satisfy safety needs rather than ascending beyond them into territory that’s more exciting and enjoyable. These preconditions are the freedom to investigate and seek for information, and honesty, which I see as associated. The other side of the freedom of speech (the topic of last week’s blog) is the freedom to listen and consume information produced by others—an obvious byproduct of the availability of information. Maslowe takes this one step further by pointing out that it’s important to be able to actively seek for information as we attempt to meet our own needs. And while he doesn’t explain further his mention of honesty, in the context of preconditions, I take this to mean honesty as a societal value as well as a personal one. If the culture around an honest person is habitually dishonest, he is likely to have a hard time finding the information he is looking for, whatever that may be. If the importance of honesty is not generally acknowledged in a culture, then the information produced in that culture will not be of the highest quality in the truth department. It might be hard to even find others who value honesty, as societies generally incentivize conformity to the accepted values of the group. It’s hard to feel safe when you can’t trust the people around you to be open and honest, and trust that the information available is truthful. And information is most worth consuming when its expression is free of censorship, whether internally or externally motivated. If citizens can’t produce their best work without fear of retribution or judgment, then their best work will not be realized as it would have been in a more open environment.
In a culture that supports the freedom to investigate and seek information, here’s where it can be found:
· Schools. While information is often introduced in a highly structured way, leaving less room for each student to follow the threads of their individual interests, there is usually at least some opportunity for choices to be made throughout based on preference, whether in choosing classes or just topics for certain assignments. A student’s understanding of research techniques often begins here.
· Libraries. Many collections of books, periodicals, and other materials are offered for free to the public, or at a very low cost. Often librarians, who are experts in retrieving information, can assist with specific requests.
· The Internet. An incredible online library of content to which almost anyone can contribute. Those who have access to this have a majority of the information that currently exists in the world at their fingertips! Sites like YouTube and Ted are notable hotbeds of creativity and the presentation of educational material.
· Social media. We can find and learn about others all across the globe who share our interests and values.
· Bookstores. Both in person and online, people busily exchange information through a large volume of commercial transactions every day.
· Films and T.V. Formats from fictional films and sit-coms to documentaries, news programs and reality shows offer us glimpses into many corners of the human experience.
· Governments. Some countries have laws about the availability of information about governmental activities. It has become clear that without such laws, secrecy may take hold such that the character of the government’s culture will devolve toward repressive tendencies, which can make it impossible for citizens to find out what’s actually happening.
No matter what the format of the information, when freely exchanged, it all contributes to the richness of the human experience. Facts and fact-based narratives like documentaries or dramatizations of historical events help us to understand what has happened in the past or is happening now. Both engender a literal understanding of the world, which is instructive in making the best possible choices we can in daily life. Fictional formats transmit imagination, which stimulates inspiration and the formation of new ideas, which lead to a metaphorical understanding of what it is to be human now and how the experience might evolve in the future.
If you live in an environment that does support the freedom to seek for information and includes a recognition of the importance of honesty, I recommend that you spare a moment every now and then to really take in the gift that this provides you—one that truly just keeps giving. Even if the amount of information available in today’s world is sometimes overwhelming, the access we have to an extraordinary amount of knowledge means that fantastic opportunities are there for the taking if you’re only willing to follow your interests with dedication. We can learn about anything under the sun. We can share, virtually, other people’s experiences of life to an extent never seen before. We can find others with similar desires with just a few clicks rather than feeling isolated if we’re out of synch with local social groups. We’re able to support both our pursuit of our own needs as well as our hopes and passions with this abundance of information in a way that’s extraordinary in the whole of human history. That’s worth appreciating.
I also suggest that you think about how you’re using this information to further what’s really important to you. Are you getting bogged down in random tangents (so easy to do in this environment)? Are you leveraging the information available to learn about what you need to move forward toward your goals? Are you enjoying your own favorite types of information, or are you paying attention to only what’s loudest? Do you consume both facts and fiction? Could you be striking a better balance with your consumption of information? Are you taking advantage of the opportunity to tell your story and share information openly and honestly? If you’re not feeling the awesome power of the information available to you and your ability to add to it authentically, consider how you could. Don’t leave this brilliant gift on the table. It’s there to help you live a rich and satisfying life, and make life better for others at the same time! The possibilities are endless.